


Stains of the Heart

by KibaSin



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale, Naruto
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Angst, Blood and Gore, Drama, F/M, Falling In Love, Family Drama, Hearing Voices, Obsessive Behaviour, POV Third Person Limited, Psychological Drama, Romance, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2007-02-10
Updated: 2009-12-21
Packaged: 2017-12-20 14:00:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 25
Words: 126,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/888088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KibaSin/pseuds/KibaSin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She was obsessed and that attracted him. She found comfort in the death of others and that made him lust. Blood stained her hands more than anything else and it captured his heart. Gaara knew, in the end, he was falling. Hard.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

_**Disclaimer:**  I own neither Naruto, nor Inuyasha. Last time I checked my name wasn't printed onto the manga books or the anime. The only thing I gain from writing is self-accomplishment, nothing more. I think that explains everything._

_**Genre:**  Action/Adventure/Drama/Angst/Romance_

_**Rating:**  M; Rated for Violence, Gore, and Death_

* * *

**Dedication:**  I have to dedicate this story to " **Valkyrie Nienna Helyanwe** " for helping me come up with most of Kagome's new personality, though I'm not sure if she realizes she did. I promise to also continue my older stories, just I need a couple new things in order to get my brain working again. I think I might update one more new story, and then I'll work on those while I'm working on my old matieral, so that I can come up with new ideas and things. However, don't expect any quick updates when it comes to this story, since I'm just starting to get familiar with Kankurou and Temari's characters.

_Kiba_

* * *

_**Prologue** _

_Blood…_

A wicked smile crossed the shadowed face of their attacker, telling each of them that they were about to meet their end. Only glowing eyes and hands could be seen through the thick fog that was forming, suffocating them all, the oxygen fading away from the space around them. Kunai and shuriken fell from limp hands, each one of them feeling the gates of death beginning to open as their bodies began to sway.

" _More blood…"_

A strange feeling surrounded each of them, the glowing hands reaching out to them as if waiting for a lover to take them. The blood red color was enough to make them all pause, wondering just why they were being called from the sweet embrace of death—why a person would be cruel enough to take away their peaceful ends? But they knew that the lives of shinobi were not filled with peaceful actions, and they knew that their attacker was only doing what came naturally. Giving them the pain they deserved for trying to make their village stronger than another.

_Yes… more blood…_

The feeling grew, each one of them beginning to shake with the intensity of it. A scream of horror was enough to cause panic to fill their minds, even as they felt death continue to tug at them. Another. And another. Screams began to fill the air, each one of them searching for the source, yet unable to move until the feeling overtook  _their_  body completely. Only then did they understand, for they felt as if they were being ripped apart from the inside, something within them trying to escape from them. Something that should have stayed within the body wished for escape and it found it by…  _exploding_ , right as their scream took hold.

Those glowing eyes gleamed through the darkness, lust and longing showing in their depths. The hands flipped suddenly, and were brought together in order to begin making quick hand signs, each movement quicker than the last. Each one of them was confused, wondering just how much this person could torture them. Wasn't causing their comrades to explode, sending entrails, blood, and bits of the bodies to fall around them, enough? Wasn't bringing all of them to the gates of death and leaving them there enough for their tormentor, the person who seemed to lick their lips while watching?

A gasp was heard through the suffocating fog, the eyes glowing brighter, redder, as a black swam across it. A fleeting glance would have made anyone pause, but the helpless shinobi could only watch through hazy eyes, wondering just when their fate would come. When would they die? Would they be next, or last? Would he or she have to listen to the dying breaths of their comrades, waiting for their turn before their attacker decided something crueler for them? What would be their fate at the hands of this powerful opponent, who'd sent them, falling to their knees before they were able to make a move?

What… was the question they all wanted answered, yet feared the end.

_Blood… Fear… Death…_

They were thick in the air now, as a few of the shinobi trapped within the barrier dropped from the lack of oxygen. One could almost taste them if they wished it, yet that was not the reason this person was killing them. No.

" _Blood… must have more blood…"_

A soft, feminine voice called out to them through the fog, each of them having enough time to pull a gasp from their mouths as they heard the words that fell from the uncovered lips of their attacker. "Red Rain." At those words each of them remaining shinobi feared the sudden rush that coursed through their veins. They thought perhaps it was Genjutsu, but at the first gargled scream, they knew they were lost. Each felt their own chakra rebel against them, and each one of them knew that there was nothing to stop it.

The wick grin grew; the person watched, as their bodies suddenly seemed to weep, their blood exiting through pores after bursting from veins. Their bodies' shook for only a short time, before their heads were thrown backward, their then lifeless eyes staring upward toward the pregnant moon. Then, once the blood began to coat their entire body, leaving no escape for the large amount still within the body, it shot out of their pores like needles from the inside. The bodies were sliced to pieces, the blood flying straight into the air as sharp as knives, before falling back toward the ground in a fountain-like effect, but no larger harmful to anyone standing by.

Lustful, greedy eyes took in the scene, the grin becoming softer at the sight of raining blood. Almost longing, as the person reached outward, their hands reaching for the blood that rained down. It hit skin, beginning to coat the person just as they wanted, wishing to know that their lust had been fulfilled… for now.

" _Blood…"_

"Blood," the person repeated, bringing their bloody hands up to run it across their slender neck. The persons face was covered by hair, but one could tell that the person was not a male. The simply structure and feminine voice was enough to place those pieces together. Even so, anyone who saw this woman in those few moments would have died. No would see her for the monster that she truly was. The lustful monster that was only comforted by blood and death, the two things that cocooned her in a sweet feeling for quite some time…

The pregnant moon shone down on the scene, but should one have cast their eyes away from the gruesome sight within that moment they would have turned back and found the woman gone. Vanished. Simply having disappeared into the blanket of the night, only a small poof of smoke left behind in her disappearance, suggesting that she'd used a teleportation jutsu. But no one knew, for those who would have seen were dead.


	2. One

A tear fell from a sparkling blue eye, while a hand was brought up to cover the other. The woman sobbed only once, a long, loud, whine following soon after, while she sat on the forest floor. Her hands were covered in red, as was most of her face and neck, while her mind continued to go back to one thing and one thing only. The one thing that continued to plague her, wanting more and more and more and  _more_  and  _more_ …

" _Blood…"_

Shaking the thought away, the woman stood, showing off her blood covered face completely, even as the still somewhat wet substance began to slid down her face and neck onto her clothing. She sighed, seeing it drip down from her eyelash and onto her cheek, while feeling another slithering drop pass over the side of her mouth. Her tongue snaked out from between her slightly parted lips, catching the drop on the tip. Her body shook from the taste, a small, wicked grin forming on her lips.  _I wonder who possessed such blood? Such a sweet taste… it is a shame they're now dead._

But she knew, she sought comfort this way. She'd ended up testing her jutsu on her own brother, after all, and then her entire Clan. Just so she could make the ache go away. Just so she could hope to find peace within the fact that she had found what she wanted. Blood was so easily obtained, even if she had to use her own weapon to seek her own. She wanted it, she found comfort in the fact that she did, and she had decided long ago that she was not going to allow others to stand in her way.

Her feet simply began to move, even when she did not realize it completely in her musing. She wanted more, now, but knew that it would be quite some time before she could go on another killing spree such as the last one she'd went on. It caused her to burn, wishing that she would be able to kill more, bring the blood she wanted from their bodies and have it shower down upon her. But that could not be, not yet. She needed other things as well, even if her thoughts centered around the blood that she wished to obtain, that she wanted.

Taking a shaking breath, she shut her eyes, stumbling over the forest floor. One of her hands dug her nails into her face, still covering her left eye in hope that the slight pain would make the ache go away. Her other hand reached up to wrap around her throat, slightly digging the nails into the flesh of her slender neck. She needed to make the ache go away, but she knew that she'd need to surround herself around people in order to do so. She needed to surround herself in  _many_  people so that she remind herself over and over again that she _couldn't_  do what she wanted to at the moment. It was possible, but not what she…

Damn it, it was what she wanted, but it was what she couldn't have. She was no longer apart of a village, though she doubted anyone knew she'd killed her Clan. The village she'd once been apart of in Lightning Country was far behind her and she'd disappeared after killing everyone who'd once surrounded her,  _loved_  her. She sneered at the very idea, for she knew that behind her back they'd gave her dirty, hateful, and sinful looks that smothered the  _love_  they claimed they'd had for her. There was only one thing she could truly love and she sucked in another shaking breath at the mere thought of it.

" _Blood…"_

Opening her right eye, she made sure to dig her nails in just far enough to allow a small amount of oxygen into her lungs each time she inhaled. She liked the pain, she did, but she was merely cutting off her oxygen intake to a certain degree in order to put her mind on something different for once. So that she could take her mind off the thing that had haunted her since the night of her Clan's destruction, the very night she'd fled, knowing that she would have been killed on sight if anyone knew of what she'd done. No one would, though, for she'd fucked the bodies up so badly that they wouldn't even be recognized by anyone who tried to pick out who was who. After all, she didn't have just one jutsu that forced a persons chakra to rebel against the body and kill them, but five. Five deadly jutsus that could be chalked up as forbidden arts—not that she cared, though.

They were apart of her, the only things she knew she could relay on. The only things that she knew she could keep close to her and never have they try to go against her. Why, though, she found herself obsessed, she did not know. She still did not know. She wished she knew, but she didn't. She'd often thought that it might have to do with the seal on her arm, but her father had once told her that it was nothing. Merely a symbol to tell others which Clan she was apart of, but she doubted that even now.

The man had lied many times to her, after all. What would have stopped him then?

Allowing the hand covering her left eye to fall to her side, running the nails through the blood on her face first, she continued to walk forward. She could see quite well, even though the sun was just beginning to rise, and it was not hard to see the path up ahead. Nor was it hard to hear the sound of someone calling out 'pervert' and then silence reining over the forest as if they'd sensed her. Not that she'd be surprised.

An ache formed in her chest, silently asking her to go forward, to attack the people that she knew were close by. Though their chakra was strange to her, telling her that she did not know them, she could still sense they were close by. Waiting in silence for her to step out onto the path, most likely so they could attack her. That would never do. She was always the one to surprise her opponent; she would not allow anyone to ever say they'd managed to surprise her. It was one of her strong points, that and chakra control, and she would make sure that no one within Fire Country forgot it.

Oh, she knew exactly where she was. She'd often been educated on the different Countries and the villages within them. Her father had thought it best that she knew of such things in case she ever needed them, though she still did not understand why. But she'd known as soon as she'd stepped into Fire Country. She also knew from the terrain that she was beginning to grow near to Konohagakure, though she did not care. True, she needed to surround herself with people, but there was no way she was going to simply walk into an unknown village. Perhaps one that was not filled with shinobi ready to impale her on weapons, but one that was, was not on her list of places to go.

Not unless she had to. Especially in her current condition—she was not stupid; she knew for a fact that they'd instantly begin asking questions. First they'd wish to know where she was from, and then they'd wish to know why she was covered in blood, if she'd ended up fighting with another shinobi and whatnot. Those were questions that she did not wish to answer at the moment and she did not know where there was a river, nor a hot spring. She did not know, thus she would not go; it was as simple as that.

Her senses were on alert, her skin tingling slightly at the strange chakra that she felt from one of the three beings she knew were somewhere on the path before her. A chakra that caused a strange voice, the one that always brought forth the idea of blood, to flood within her mind. She'd often thought that perhaps she was beginning to go crazy, but there were times when she knew she was very sane. Still, the voice was overpowering, always able to make her do as it wanted, and she hated that.

Hated the fact that it made her feel weak. Hated the fact that she was often dreaming of demons and such. Hated the fact that she often found herself within the body of a huge dog that contained five tails. A creature known as the Houkou, though her father had once given her a horrified look when she'd mentioned it. Especially since she knew that before she was born the creature had roamed the land just outside their village, but the story had never been finished. Her father simply said that the creature vanished.

" _Shukaku,"_  the voice hissed. It filled her head, causing her to wonder just what the hell it meant. Once in a while she thought that perhaps it was her conscience, but something told her that that was not the case. It couldn't be. No, not with the fact that it never helped her, and never said more than a few words, most of which were demanding that she find blood. To rub it along her skin and release  _it_  from its prison, though she still did not understand what it meant.

Taking a step forward, she stepped out onto the path, listening to the sounds of the place around her. She heard a gasp, which caused her gaze to snap toward the small trio standing not far away from her. A woman and two males, though her eyes lingered for the longest time on the color of hair one of them possessed. Her lips parted slightly, her eyes locked onto the color, her body silently trying to get away from the thoughts that began rushing through her head. Her mind was held tightly by the strange voice, the one that began speaking to her once more, making her once more question her sanity.

" _Shukaku has been extracted from his vessel…"_  the voice stopped for a moment, the image of the dog once more flashing through her thoughts. " _Shukaku has been extracted… but his chakra still lingers on the vessel…_ "

 _Shut up,_  she hissed. She received a mild chuckling for her answer, but it faded away until she wasn't even sure if she'd heard the voice at all. If this hadn't been the first time she'd heard it then she would have questioned her own mind. Questioned if she was truly all  _there_. Questioned if the voice was truly coming from inside her head, or from some outside force that she couldn't see. She truly doubted that, just as she doubted a lot of things in life, but there was always the possibility. A big possibility that someone was trying to fuck with her head!

She dug her nails deeper into her neck, almost cutting off the oxygen she inhaled completely, her chest rising higher with each intake she took. Her eyes continued to stare at this "vessel" as the voice liked to call him, since it continued to mutter about it in the back of her head, though very quiet, almost to the point that she could not hear it. She would never understand the reason why it stopped speaking with her, deciding instead to merely hide itself away.

Her eyes widened when the blonde took a step toward her, but her vision only took in the color of the male's hair.  _Blood…_  roamed through her thoughts, but she knew that it had not come from the voice, but her own thoughts. She dug her nails deeper into her throat, waiting for the lack of oxygen to knock her unconscious, or at least hopefully. Her body screamed for her to let go, but she took a step away from the blonde woman, the lack of oxygen causing her to sway lightly.

Her deep blue eyes shut closed, ripping her away from the color of the male's hair on purpose. She needed more! Her hands wanted to begin making hand signs, or at least go for her weapons as the blonde once more cautiously stepped toward her. A growl rose from her throat, stopping the blonde to her amusement, though a black fog was beginning to take over her vision. She knew she would not last much longer and for that she was glad. She needed to sleep, because maybe then she would be able to forget about the thing that she so wanted and once more go on without it for a while.

The voice went through her mind once more before she fell forward, her hand falling away from her bloody neck.  _"Blood…"_

* * *

Kankurou frowned, "I don't like this, Temari. You should just leave her there." He shuddered, "Or maybe you haven't noticed the fact that she'd covered in layers of blood." He shuddered again, gazing down at the woman Temari was kneeling by.  _Gods, that reminds me of Gaara before the chuunin exams._

Temari snorted, "You can't be so quick to judge, Kankurou. She might have simply gotten into a fight with another shinobi who tried to take her life."

"Yeah, well," Kankurou's frown deepened, "You don't even know where she came from. She doesn't have a headband on her, or any papers from any Kage saying that she's permitted into Konoha. I doubt she's here for a simple walk."

"She reeks of death," Gaara stated, staring down at the woman emotionlessly. He really didn't care whether Temari treated her or not, as long as he no longer had to feel as if something was going to suddenly jump out at him. He wasn't used to the feeling, though he knew what it felt like, and he didn't like it. He suspected it was the woman's fault, even if she was probably around their age from the looks of things.

"Exactly," Kankurou nodded. "See, Gaara agrees with me. We should leave her here, or better yet, kill her."

"I said nothing about agreeing with you, Kankurou," Gaara glared, his aqua eyes settling on his brother.

"Ahhh…"

"Kankurou, just be quiet for once." Temari felt ready to snap. She wasn't going to let this woman just lay there, especially not so close to a shinobi village. She could be raped, or killed, or  _something_. "I'm helping her whether you want me to or not," she growled.

"Fine," he muttered, "but when she tries to kill you, don't come running to me for help."

"I doubt someone would try to kill the person who saved their life," Temari replied. She frowned. "She doesn't seem to have any wounds," she whispered, "but I still think we should take her with us, in case she's lost or something. Do you want to feel guilty for leaving an innocent woman out in the wilderness, where  _any_ thing could happen to her, Kankurou?"

"Define anything," he scoffed. "Its not like I care if she gets herself into trouble. From the looks of things she can take care of herself quite well. And besides, can't you see the weapons she's got on her? Or are you blind now, Temari?"

"She's unconscious!" Temari nearly yelled, watching as Gaara glared at her, muttered something, and began to walk again. She pulled the woman up by the arm, situating her so that she was leaning on her, making sure that she wouldn't fall. "Even if she wanted to, she can't use those weapons at the moment, idiot! I might be  _blind_ , but you're deaf, dumb, and idiotic."

"Whatever, Temari. Just remember what I said," Kankurou said, his eyes wary. "And make sure to take those weapons from her before she manages to awaken, if you insist on bringing her. I don't want my throat slit for your stupidity." His hand came up to tug on the strap of his puppet, silently telling Temari that he would use it if he had to. There was no way he was going to be killed in his sleep because Temari just had to pick up stray dogs.

Temari's eyes glittered, "Maybe I'll ask her to slit your throat. I'm sure Gaara wouldn't mind the fact that you're missing one morning." She snickered, watching as her brother turned his eyes on her like she was crazy. She couldn't help it, if Kankurou wanted to make her leave a possibly innocent woman out in the woods, then he would be picked at for a few days. Especially after the woman woke and thanked her, turning nasty on only him for being so stupid.

"That's not funny, Temari!"

"I thought it was," she replied.

"It's not my fault you insist on picking up strays! You wouldn't even be able to suggest such a thing if she wasn't here!" Kankurou shouted, bringing his other hand up to rub his neck. Temari, he feared, might actually be serious, or worse, the woman would feel the need to kill him simply because… because… He didn't know why, but he just had a feeling. Not a good feeling, either.

"Quiet, we're nearing Konohagakure." Gaara scowled at Kankurou, wondering when his shinobi instincts had rushed off. Surely he would have known to keep quiet within another shinobi's territory? Again, he blamed the woman Temari was carrying, since Kankurou wouldn't have yelled if it weren't for their conversation over her. Still, it was ridiculous that they were fighting over her killing them anyway. He would make sure to crush her before she even managed to pull a weapon on them—it was more likely only if it was pulled on him, though.

"Really, Kankurou," Temari shook her head in disappointment. Her voice was lower, seeing the wall that surrounded the village become larger with each step, towering over them at great heights. The sounds of life were already filling her ears, and she was happy to once more be in civilization, even if she did enjoy missions outside of Sunagakure.

"But, but…" Kankurou sighed, knowing he wasn't going to win this one.

Temari glared at him, "Besides, she isn't a dog, she's a person."

Kankurou's voice was lowered, but he hissed through his teeth at his sister. "Well, then don't talk about her as if you're going to teach her a new trick. Maybe then I wouldn't think of her as a dog."

"I only said that I might  _ask_  her; there's a difference between teaching and asking," Temari replied.

Gaara shook his head, listening as their voices once more began to rise. They continued to argue, over that stupid woman that had fainted in their path, though he was slightly curious as to why, he thought it was better that she was taken care of and set to her own devices. There was something about her that didn't seem right, something that he knew he  _knew_ , but he wasn't sure what it was. His arms crossed over his chest and he blamed his forgetfulness on paperwork—he was starting to understand why the Godaime Hokage was always trying to pawn it off onto someone else. True, it was the Kage's job, no matter what village they were from, but that much paperwork got ridiculous after a while, which was the exact reason he'd decided it was time for a visit. He didn't think there was going to be this much trouble before they even got there.

"OBVIOUSLY, YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING TEMARI!"

"WELL, YOU'RE… YOU'RE… YOU KNOW WHAT, I'M NOT GOING TO CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION WITH YOU!"

His lip twitched.

"YOU'RE NOT GETTING OUT OF THIS SO EASILY!"

Gaara growled, coming to a complete stop and turning to glare at his two siblings. They instantly stopped, turning fearful and slightly amused eyes toward him, most likely because he took so long to respond to them. Glaring, he shook his head, and decided that they weren't worth the effort. When they were attacked, he'd allow them to take care of it.

"See what you did, Kankurou? You've gotten Gaara angry!"

"Me? I didn't do anything, Temari," Kankurou whispered harshly.

Pulling at the woman's arm around her neck, Temari pulled her so that she was putting more weight onto her own, making sure she didn't fall off while she was carrying her. "Shut up, Kankurou," she snapped, feeling the woman stir slightly. "You were so worried about this woman waking up and killing you, so you shouldn't be so loud, idiot."

He huffed, turning his eyes to the woman hanging on Temari's side. Scowling, he said, "Fine, but we'll continue this later."

"In your dreams," Temari muttered, seeing the gates finally coming into view, the two posted Jounin instantly setting their sights on them. They stiffened, and she guessed it had to do with the mood Gaara seemed to be in, since their stares were directed at him and the woman she was carrying. Sliding her hand a little, Temari noticed that some of the blood on the woman's arms was still wet, and she almost shuddered. She hadn't seen that much blood in a long time, and though she wanted to help the other kunoichi, it was slightly disturbing to know she'd gotten herself drenched so badly.

"State your business," one of the guards commanded, straightening his posture as he stared at the Sunagakure shinobi. He instantly knew the Kazekage, but his eyes settled onto the woman one of them was holding, and his eyes narrowed at the sight of blood.  _Surely that isn't hers?_

"We're here to visit," Temari smiled. "Tsunade-sama told us we could visit whenever we wished."

"Yeah, and we've decided now is a good time," Kankurou added.

"Hn."

"And her?" the other one asked, motioning toward the blood covered woman. "Is she with you?"

"Yes," Temari replied. "She fainted passing us, and I would like to have Tsunade-sama check her over for any wounds. I promise that I will take full responsibility for whatever she does while inside the village, whether good or bad."

"Very well," the first replied. "You may pass, and a shinobi will be sent out to tell Hokage-sama of your arrival."

Temari nodded, not quite sure what she'd gotten herself into.


	3. Two

She is running.

She does not know why, but she knows she is running. To where and why are not questions that she needs answered, for she has answers to other things. She knows she is female, but she knows that she is not the same as before. Something has changed, and it disturbs her some, but not enough to be important. She knows she is running, and she believes that is important enough to be a category of its own. She knows she must escape, but she does not know why she must escape, only that she does.

A shiver runs up her spine, while she turns to gaze behind her. People are following her, many people. They want something, but she cannot understand what they want. It is as if they speak an entirely different language, for their lips move, but she does not understand the words passing their lips. She does not understand, and for a moment she does not know why she should. Why should she understand anything, when she knows she is she? She is herself, therefore she is important, and they are not. They could die and she would not care, she believes, but a sense of doubt tells her she is just trying to escape something else. Something different from the thing she was trying to escape in the first place, and now she is trying to escape something else.

Everything seems smaller than she remembers, and that confuses her, even when she thinks it shouldn't. Even the trees seem like sticks, and many other things seem small and insignificant; yet she believes they were important before. They had been important, but now they are not. Even the people who are following her are no longer important, and it amuses her that they believe they can keep up with her. They believe they can capture her, but she knows that they will not get the chance.

Another shiver rushes up her spine, and she tries to shake off the feeling of fear. It grips her in a blanket that she cannot escape, though she wants to. She wishes to escape from the feeling, wondering for a moment why she feels fear at all. Why does she feel she must escape  _something_ , yet other things do not bother her? Why does she feel the need to growl, snap, and howl, when she knows she has never done such a thing before? Why, she does not know, but she feels that someone must know, but perhaps not the people following her. No, they wish to capture her, and she wishes to be free, so they would not give her the answers to her questions.

A sense of dread floods into her feet—paws?—and she continues to run, feeling that something has changed. Something has become different and she must escape it. She feels as if images of the past are haunting her, each one continuing to try and pull her into their embrace, no matter how many times she tries to remain away from them. The people who were following her have disappeared, this sense of dread chasing them away, while she fears it herself. She knows she cannot escape the feeling, but she wishes she could.

The past rushes ahead of her, taunting her with images that she does not wish to see. The scent of blood fills her nose, making her feel something foreign, yet familiar, and she still does not understand. These feelings, she is sure now, are not truly her own, but she cannot understand why she is having them. She cannot understand the reason she would have the feelings of another person, and she does not want to understand. She merely wishes to make them go away, so she pushes at them, trying to escape the feelings coming from the images.

The forest flies by, and she stumbles into a strange place, one she is sure she has seen before. The feelings that cling to her fur shriek, and she is relieved when they finally leave her, leaving her to herself and this strange place. She knows this place, she knows she knows, but she does not  _know_. It is a strange feeling, one she knows she has felt before, many times, and she wonders why she is feeling it now.

The place, what looks to be an old village, is dark and dreary. A sense of evil and darkness floods from the ground, seeping into her body, and she hates it. She begins to hate everything, for she does not understand the reason her feelings are changing so rapidly, and why everything has changed. She knows this place, she knows she knows, but she feels that this is not a place she wishes to be. Not this place, though she cannot come to fully understand the reason why. Why does she not want to be here, when another piece of her feels she deserves to be here? She still hates it, that piece of her that wishes to stay within the place. She hates it with so much passion that she is surprised with herself and blinks in confusion.

She has stopped, yet still she feels she is running. Running from something that she does not understand, as she does not understand many things. She is running, and truly that is all she understands. She knows this, yet she does not know this, and that frustrates her. She feels she knows, but she feels she cannot know, that it is locked away so that she cannot understand. That is why she hates this place, for she  _does_  know that this place makes her feel this way. She  _knows_.

Something rises from the ground, and she shifts her head to gaze down at it, thoughts gathering within her head. She tilts her massive head to one side, and blinks, not understanding what is happening. Yet it continues without her knowing, and she is fine with that. She watches, as it rises completely from the ground and then a figure is once more standing in front of her. Not like the ones that have chased her many times over, and she knows that this person is different. She knows that this person is different and she understands it, though she is confused as to why she understands this, when there are so many things she cannot come to understand.

The figure raises his head, and she gasps, not understanding how this has happened. There, staring straight at her is someone she knows. A person she knows she does not want to remember and thus she swings her paw, trying to kill the person. She knows that killing brings her joy, brings to her a sense of completion, and thus she wants to kill this person. She knows that, and she knows she will forever understand it, even when it is hazy and undetermined. She does not know where this joy will take her once completely in control, but she knows she likes it now, and she will get it. Anything that will get rid of this person she does not wish to see any longer.

"You cannot hide from me," the person says.

"Die," she replies. She swings her paw, or what she believes now is a paw, trying to destroy the person before her. She wants to. She has to. She must.

And then, though she could have sworn they were open, she opens her eyes, and light floods into her vision.

* * *

"Have you found anything, Tsunade-sama?"

 

"Nothing out of the ordinary," the Godaime Hokage replied, grazing her hand over the bruise on the woman's neck. She was surprised that Temari had brought such a person into the village, especially after she'd seen how much blood had covered her. She had almost felt sickened while washing her. "This bruising here," she motioned toward the bruise, "seems to be self-inflicted, though. She has no other wounds, external or internal." She gazed down at her thoughtfully, "Where did you say you found her, again?"

"Just outside the village—not far, in fact. She stepped into our path, stared at us while holding her neck, and then fainted," Temari said. Rubbing her hands together, she was glad that Tsunade had washed the strange woman. She hadn't noticed how much it had bothered her before, but she was glad now that she no longer had to stare at the blood that had once covered her from head to toe. True, the reaction the blood got out of Tsunade had been funny, as well as the shock that ran through many of the villagers, but it had still frightened her slightly. No one would ever want to be near that much blood, unless they were crazy, on an assassination mission, or perhaps trying to protect themselves from people trying to assassinate them. She didn't even want to know why the blood had been covering her, instead of merely covering her clothing.

Tsunade nodded once, a jerking nod that told Temari she understood but didn't like it. "Well, I'll leave her to you then. I would like it if you sent someone for me when she awakens," Tsunade let out a small groan, "I would stay… but I have so much  _paperwork_  waiting for me.  _So_  much  _paperwork_." Her head tilted back in a slight look of thought, before her shoulders slumped and decided it was time to leave. No one else was going to do her paperwork— _so_  much paperwork.

"I'm sure you'll be done with it in no time, Tsunade-sama," Temari said.

The Hokage snorted, a deep scowl forming on her face. "Yes, I'm  _positive_  I'll be done with it soon." She moved out of the room, leaving the two girls alone, and then motioned for an ANBU to watch over the door. She wasn't so sure about that girl, whoever she was, and she wasn't about to loose more people because Temari wanted to help a single person. Besides, from what she'd been told, Temari said she'd take full responsibility for whatever the girl did, which meant if she was a new member of Akatsuki, or working with that bastard Orochimaru, who had been hiding for quite some time now, Temari, for taking full responsibility, could end up with a death sentence.

Temari shook her head, knowing from the Hokage's words that the translation was she was going to get drunk and trick some fool into helping her with her paperwork. Either that, or Shizune would have to drag her out of the Hokage's office once she got so drunk that she couldn't properly do her duty, thus not having to do it in the first place. Turning her attention back to the woman lying on the bed, her lips tilted to the side, "Well, at least we know you're alright, whoever you are."

The door opened once more, and Kankurou stepped into the room. Looking around, he scowled when he noticed the woman was still with his sister, and went to stand next to her. "Has she awakened yet?"

"Why do you want to know?" Temari asked. "You didn't seem to want anything to do with her earlier."

"Gaara wants to know," Kankurou's scowl deepened. "He said that he felt something unusual from her earlier, and that he felt a spike of strange chakra when she stirred within the village. Apparently he wants to find out why she was covered in blood and whatnot, I don't know."

"Then you can tell Gaara that she hasn't stirred since then." Temari frowned, wondering why Gaara's attitude seemed to turn from bored to curious once the woman had stirred a little as they were walking through the village. Many people had stared at them, but they hadn't really thought about using a teleportation jutsu in order to arrive quicker. True, she had struggled a little in her hold, and she had growled, but there wasn't anything strange that she felt.

"Tch, whatever," Kankurou said. He didn't like that woman at all. She'd been covered in blood, she'd fucking growled like an animal, she'd somehow managed to make Gaara curious, and she'd carried around many strange scrolls, along with  _lots_  of shuriken. "You took all her weapons, though, right?" he asked.

"Yes," Temari nodded.

"So, how many was she carrying?"

"Twenty-five shuriken, five kunai, two daggers, a small metal fan, a concealed sword, some string, a couple of paper bombs," Temari counted off her fingers, trying to remember each and everyone, "and a few poison filled bottles, from what Tsunade-sama found on her. She also had a summoning scroll, though Tsunade-sama wasn't sure what it would summon, a few medical items, and a water bottle that was filled with some strange red liquid."

"Red liquid?" Kankurou asked, and seeing Temari nod, he shuddered. "Temari, you sure that wasn't, I don't know,  ** _blood_**!"

"It wasn't blood," Temari snapped. "Tsunade-sama checked when I asked her to, and it was just some strange liquid that seemed to be vitamin enriched. It wasn't dangerous in any way, and it tasted pretty good."

"You… you tried it, Temari?" Kankurou's mouth fell open, "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"Are you intelligent?" Temari asked. "I believe the answer is 'no'."

"That's not funny and you know it, Temari," Kankurou replied. "You have no idea how long it could take for something undetectable in that liquid could spread through your body. You could be dead by morning."

"Then the Hokage will be dead as well, and she will be put to death," Temari replied, her voice tight. "Besides, I doubt she'd carry anything dangerous to herself in a water bottle. She could go days without water, become delusional, and take a drink without meaning to. I doubt she'd be stupid enough to do that."

"You don't know anything about her, Temari, so don't act like you do," Kankurou frowned.

"You're right, Kankurou, I don't know anything about her. I don't know where she's from, I don't know her background, and I don't know anything of importance, but I know that a shinobi would not be stupid enough to put dangerous liquids into their own water bottle. Maybe into someone elses if they hate the person enough, but not their own." Temari turned her eyes to the woman on the bed, and suddenly became quiet.

"Temari?" Kankurou asked. Confused as to why his sister had stopped talking so suddenly, he turned his eyes to where she was looking and stiffened a bit. That woman. The woman that Temari had insisted on bringing with them was… was… was awake… and staring right at them.

"You're," she began, her voice quiet, and she coughed a few times. "You're the people from earlier?"

Temari blinked, before realization dawned on her. "Oh, yes, we are. You fainted in front of us, and I thought you might need help. We brought you to Konohagakure, I hope you don't mind."

She nodded a little, staring at them with blank eyes. "There were three of you before, were there not?" she asked.

Temari nodded. "Yes. Gaara, he's the one that's not with us right now, is most likely speaking with Tsunade-sama, or maybe one of the shinobi of the village." She stopped, and then turned to point at Kankurou. "This is my brother, Kankurou, and I'm Temari. Gaara is also our sibling."

Her eyes flickered to the headband around Temari's neck. "You're from Sunagakure," she stated, her eyes narrowing a bit.

"Yeah, you got a problem with that?" Kankurou asked.

"No," she said.

"Be quiet, Kankurou," Temari frowned at him. Watching him look away, she turned her attention back to the woman. "What's your name?"

She remained silent.

Temari blinked, "Well, I guess you don't have to tell me. That's your business, after all."

" _They rescued you, did they? Interesting,_ " said the voice inside her head. Her eyes narrowed some more, a slight glaze forming over them, as she tried to figure out where the voice was coming from. She caught sight of red eyes for a moment, but they turned away and a white flank assaulted her eyes and then was gone. " _Now, we're inside the village,_ " it went on, " _where there is people… and blood…_ "

 _Shut up_ , she hissed.

" _Oh, little one,_ " it laughed.

Her eyes flicked back and forth for a moment.  _You're not real; get out of my head,_  she hissed.

The voice laughed again. " _I am as real as you are, girl. Never forget that._ "

"Are you alright?" Temari asked. "Tsunade-sama said that you didn't have any wounds, but I'm starting to think that you might have hit your head some time ago from the way you're staring off like that." She waved her hand in front of the woman's face, and watched as she snapped her attention back to her, her blue eyes filling with life, and a deeper emotion she couldn't understand. "I'm sorry, you seemed to have dozed off there."

Blinking, she brought a hand up to rub at her eyes, and then once again lay down on the bed. Turning her head away from the Sunagakure shinobi, she ignored them, hoping that they'd leave her alone. Once more the voice was assaulting her mind, and she could hear it whispering for blood, to let it out. She didn't understand, and she didn't want to understand, and she wanted it to go away. She wanted it to go away.

Temari frowned, "You must be tired. We'll let you sleep, and return in a couple of hours to make sure you're alright." Motioning to Kankurou, she went to the door, and watched as her brother stepped out. "Just don't try to cause too much trouble, I think this village has a hard enough time with Naruto as it is." She stepped out into the hall, and went to close the door, only to notice that the woman had turned her head and staring toward her.

"Kagome," the woman said, just before she shut the door.

"What?" Temari asked, blinking.

"You asked for my name, and I gave it to you," she replied, turning her head so that she was once more staring away from the other kunoichi.

"Oh," Temari nodded. "Well then, have a nice rest, Kagome."

Once again, Kagome was silent, her eyes drifting closed.

* * *

She is running.

 

Blood floods around her paws, each stride of her powerful legs washing it against her fur. There is a flash of light, and her eyes flutter for a moment, but they drift closed again. She does not understand, but she sees a figure standing over her, the color of blood filling her vision. Aqua colored eyes flash in her mind, and she understands that there were emotions she understood within them. She understands, though she is not sure why she understands, but she does. She understands, and she is happy that she does.


	4. Three

She stood perfectly still, her eyes wondering back and forth between the Hokage and Kazekage. They expected her to actually take that order? She was not one to be followed and she didn't like it whenever she had someone following her. She usually killed anyone who tried, which would make this a very uncomfortable situation. "So, you want me to allow an ANBU to follow me around day and night until I leave this village?"

"Or until we have determined whether you will bring harm to Konohagakure or not," Tsunade replied. "After all, you can't expect us to suddenly trust you when you came here covered in blood, and carrying no identification or anything to tell us from which village you came from."

Gaara remained silent, knowing that Tsunade would say everything that needed to be said. The woman was intriguing, he'd give her that, but this was for the best. Besides, he could get more information on her from the ANBU that followed her, which was a plus for him. The woman, who he'd been informed was named Kagome, carried herself differently than he'd seen most kunoichi, but she had the presence that told him she was an experienced fighter. She knew of blood and death, and she knew of things that most likely would have horrified many.

"I am from a village far from here," she said.

"Yes," Tsunade frowned, leaning back in her chair. "You've already said that. However, that does not tell us  _which_  village."

"I cannot tell you which village, Hokage-sama, for I am no longer apart of it." Kagome tilted her head to the side. "You also asked if I was apart of a Clan, and the answer is 'no'. I am no longer allowed to carry the name of my ancestors, nor am I allowed to associate myself with them."

"Why?" Tsunade asked, shaking her head slightly.

"That is my business, and my business alone," Kagome frowned. "The reason for that is not your business, nor will it ever be, especially when I am not allowed to speak of them with others. There are things about that village that would horrify even the most experienced of shinobi, and there are reasons as to why others are not allowed in so easily." She knew she was lying, but she didn't care, it was safer this way. "Think of it this way, Hokage-sama, I am protecting you from things that you should not know. So, no matter how many times you ask, I shall  _not_  tell you."

"Fine," Tsunade growled.  _I need a drink,_  she thought,  _its way to early for this._  "You will also not be allowed to carry your weapons. They will remain in my hands until I am certain you are not apart of Akatsuki or Otogakure. This village is finally starting to become peaceful since seven years ago, and I will not allow anyone in this village to be harmed again."

"I can assure you, Hokage-sama, from the bottom of my heart," Kagome smiled, "that I am not apart of either. You may not believe me, but it is true. If I were, I would not have allowed myself to be  _saved_  by Temari, Kankurou, or Gaara-sama, but done whatever it was I was to do. Besides, I have been wandering for far too long to have actually met people from either place." Her eyes became sharp, "And, from what I remember about myself, I am not an S-Ranked Criminal of any kind."

"Yes, well, for all we know, you could be lying, so I'm afraid I can't take your word for that," Tsunade said. "So, until I can be certain that you're not lying, you shall have… um," she thought for a moment, her eyes narrowing, thinking about whom she could put in charge of this strange girl. "Uchiha Sasuke as your—"

"Uchiha is  _not_  an ANBU," Gaara finally said. "He is a Jounin, Tsunade-sama."

"Ah…"  _I knew this was way to early for this,_  Tsunade sighed. "Well, I don't care. Either way, Uchiha Sasuke  _was_  one of the best ANBU this village has seen, even with his small _adventure_ , thus he shall be a good guard for Kagome-san here. Its either that, one of the Hyuugas', or Nara Shikamaru, because I don't want to have to go through all the ANBU there currently are."

Kagome blinked, a giggle forming in her throat. Her eyes flashed a little, but she mentally shook it away, knowing that now was not the time. She'd had her fill; she didn't need any more for a while now. In fact, she felt much better now, and she doubted that she'd need to revert into her other state for a while, maybe a couple of weeks with so many people around her to keep her distracted.

" _Kyuubi_."

_Kyuubi?_

Tsunade's eyes flicked toward the door when she heard a pounding, and groaned at the sound. Almost instantly, the doors to her office burst open, and Uzumaki Naruto stumbled in. It was too early for all this, yet it just continued to get  _better_  and  _better_. "Naruto," she growled.

"Tsunade-ba—" Naruto whined.

"NARUTO," Tsunade shouted, standing from her seat. She didn't notice how the girl recoiled, flinging her hands up over her ears, and growled at her, her full attention having been on Naruto, but Gaara did. "HOW MANY TIMES MUST I TELL YOU TO  _STAY OUT OF MY OFFICE_!?"

Naruto pouted, "But, Tsunade-baa-chan, I only wanted to ask for another mission! I haven't gotten one in so long!"

"That's because the ones that are currently assigned do not need your field of," Tsunade stopped, looking for the right word, " _expertise._ "

Naruto's words started coming out at ten miles an hour, his feet moving him forward so that he was standing in front of the Hokage. "Yeah, well, how's a shinobi supposed to make any money when they're not going on any missions? I don't have anymore money to buy ramen!" Tears filled his eyes at those words, his hands coming up dramatically as the others wondered at his sanity.

" _Kill them,_ " the voice snarled.

 _No, stay out of my head,_  she growled back. She felt the presence fighting against her, and shook it off, bringing herself back to reality. The Hokage looked thoughtful for a moment, and then grinned from ear to ear. Wondering what she was thinking, her eyes turned to the Kazekage, but found him glaring at her suspiciously. She wasn't going to get anything out of him that was for sure.

" _Blood,_ " the voice roared. " _Give me their blood._ "

Her lips formed the word, though she managed to stop herself from saying it. The lust filled her body, and she reached up to grab at her clothing, wondering why it was suddenly coming back to her. She needed to leave, to escape, too fill her need. She didn't need to end up killing these people, or the people of this innocent village. Yes, they were perfect for her need, but they did not deserve what she would do to them.

" _Give it to me,_ " the voice continued. " _Give me their blood!_ "

"Blood," she whispered.

Gaara's eyes narrowed to slits, his brain clicking to many reasons as to why she might have just said that. Either she was seeing things, she was remembering something, or she wanted to kill. He remembered the feeling well, before Naruto had managed to knock some sense into him, the need to kill in order to feel alive, but he no longer needed that. Perhaps she was similar to that? It made her more interesting, but that meant that he'd need to watch her closely. That would probably seem suspicious.

"Tell you what, Naruto," Tsunade grinned, "I do have a mission for you!"

Naruto's eyes twinkled, "You do?"

"Yes," Tsunade said. "I know how hard it has been hard on you and your team since Sakura…" She stopped, seeing the light dying in Naruto's eyes, and coughed to get his attention. "I realized that I might have been neglecting you, Naruto. You deserve to have another mission. One that pays… quite a bit each week."

"Really?" Naruto's eyes returned to their stunning glory.

"Yes," Tsunade nodded, watching as the vessel nodded with her. "In fact, the person you will be watching each day and night, sleeping in the Hokage's Tower instead of in that apartment you  _live_  in, is in this room."

"Really!" Naruto nearly jumped into the air. Turning his head in all directions, his eyes landed on Gaara, and frowned. Turning back to the Hokage, he said, "Tsunade-baa-chan, I think Gaara can watch over himself. I mean, he's not  _that_  useless."

Gaara's lip tilted slightly in a smirk.

She bopped him on the head, watching as Naruto rubbed at his bump, whining about how she shouldn't have hit him. "I'm not talking about Gaara-sama," she snapped. Seeing his mouth open, she continued, "Nor am I talking about myself!"

Naruto blinked, "Then who…" Watching as Tsunade brought her hand up and pointed behind him, he turned to look at the woman who'd brought her hand up to grab her at her hair. He hadn't noticed her, but he blinked at her. "Oh," he said. "Who's that, Tsunade-baa-chan?" His voice was suddenly quiet, his eyes taking in the woman in front of him.

She was wearing a black shirt, a layer of silver fishnet placed over it, barely visible to the eye. Her red pants were held on by a sash, also silver in color, and her pants hung on her legs, loose fitting, easy to move in. They reached halfway down her lower leg, while black bandages had been wrapped around her legs the rest of the way into her black shinobi sandals. Her hands were covered in fingerless gloves, also black in color, and her arms were wrapped in the same black bandaging as her legs. His eyes shifted upward, noticing that her eyes were dark blue, rimmed strangely with a dark gold, and her face was nice enough looking. Her hair, though, caught his attention the most, noticing that it was black, save for a length on the right side, which was blood red, like Gaara's.

Her nose wrinkled, noticing the way he was staring at her. Thrusting her neck out, she lifted her top lip in a snarl on instinct, and glared at him. "Pervert," she hissed.

Naruto's eyes widened, "WHA!?!"

Tsunade bopped him on the head again, watching as the Kyuubi vessel whined about how she was always abusing him. "She's right," she snapped. "You've been spending too much time with Jiraiya, face it."

Naruto's eyes nearly popped out of his head, while he turned back to Tsunade. He flung himself over her desk, though much taller than he used to be whenever he'd done this sort of thing. "Tsunade-baa-chan, I don't want to be like Ero-Sannin!" he shouted.

Tsunade just managed to avoid him, allowing him to slam against her chair, knock it over, and land painfully on the floor. Knowing that he was most likely all right, she huffed. "Stop acting like a child, Naruto, and get up!" she snapped. Watching as the Jounin did as she asked, she pointed to the other side of the desk, and watched as he childish stomped there, glaring at her for his bruised head. Sighing, she picked up her chair and turned back to Naruto. "Now, will you take the mission or not, Naruto?"

"Of course I'll do it," Naruto grumbled. "And, I'll do it better than anyone else could do it. Believe it!"

Gaara's amusement was short lived, as Tsunade began to explain to Naruto how he'd have to become Kagome's shadow, and actually stay in the Hokage's Tower with her. His eyes turned back to the woman standing in front of them, still standing as solid as a rock, glaring at Naruto's back as if she wanted to hit him for staring at her in such a fashion. It really wasn't Naruto's fault, he knew, for she was quite pleasant looking once she was no longer covered in blood… not that… she hadn't been appealing covered in blood, but there was a difference. There was just something about her that was off, something that reminded him of the time Naruto had told him that he had a real demon living inside of him and he'd told him that his demon was as real as his was.

Without Shukaku he wasn't able to instantly tell these things, though. Over the years his senses had slightly dulled from what they originally were with Shukaku inside of him, but they were still higher than the average shinobis. He wasn't completely able to tell what it was about her that made him feel strange, uneasy, but there was something there. His eyes narrowed, not amused any longer, no matter how much his friend could try to once again make him thus. There was just  _something_  familiar, yet so strange about her, and why that attracted his attention, he  _wanted_  to know.

Naruto's eyes drooped with all the information he was getting. "Yeah, yeah, I get it Tsunade-baa-chan—"

A vein throbbed in her head, knowing from over the years that she would not be able to stop him from calling her that. She wished that he'd obey her order on calling her 'Tsunade-sama' or 'Tsunade-hime' or 'Hokage-sama', but not 'Tsunade-baa-chan'.

"—but who's going to clean and watch over my apartment while I'm away!" Naruto whined.

"You'll still be in the village, Naruto, I'm sure you can find time to do it," Tsunade sighed.

"But, but…"

"Or… we could find someone else to do it," Tsunade continued, sighing in acceptance. "Who would you trust the most with your things, Naruto?"

He grinned suddenly, his eyes twinkling with mischief. Oh, he knew just how dirty his apartment still was, even whenever he tried to clean it. Oh, he knew that whoever tried to clean it would be in over their head, and oh, he knew that they were going to have lots of fun doing it. "Hm," he said, bringing his hand up to tap at his chin a few times. "I think I'd trust… Kakashi-sensei," he nodded to himself, "with my things the most." It was perfect, for he'd never been able to trap Kakashi-sensei in one of his traps.

"Fine," Tsunade sighed. "Now, why don't you leave and get acquainted with your new mission?"

"Perfect!" Naruto shouted. He turned to the woman, "So, what's your name? Where are you from? Do you have any family? Do you know anyone in Konohagakure? Do you—"

Tsunade growled once more. "Naruto, she can only answer one question at a time!"

He frowned, a light color powdering over his cheeks. "Argh, right," he mumbled.

She blinked, finally shaking away the voice in her head. Smiling, she said, "I'm Kagome; where I come from is not important; I have no family that I can speak of; and I know Temari, Kankurou, and Gaara-sama currently."

Tsunade's mouth fell open. Naruto's questions had come out so fast that no one should have been able to tell where one ended and where another began.

Naruto smiled brightly. "Awesome!" he thought for a moment. "Um… do you like ramen?"

"Ramen?" she asked. Her eyes narrowed a bit in thought, "I don't think I've ever had ramen."

Naruto's eyes widened once more. " _Never had ramen_?" he asked. He felt very faint.

" _Annoying brat,_ " the voice snarled.

Strange, it had become quite the talker lately. Usually it was quiet, unless it wanted something from her. Unless it wanted her to do something, and yet now it was talking more than she could ever remember. Then again, when she was little she'd always thought that perhaps it was just an imaginary friend or something, though she could never see anything. Then, as she got older, she'd noticed that it was coming from inside her head, inside her own body, like it was apart of her. She'd gotten scared, but that bastard of a father would never tell what it was, though she was positive he'd known. He'd known, and thus it was just another reason as to why she was not guilty about taking his life. Still, she could not rule out the fact that it could be someone trying to fuck with her head, and if someone was, she'd killed them without a second thought.

She'd bathe in their blood.

She'd find joy in their death.

She'd walk away as if nothing had happened.

And once again, she'd be Kagome.


	5. Four

"I still don't know how you managed it," she frowned.

"Managed what?" Naruto asked, blinking in confusion.

"To get the Kazekage to come with us," she said. "All I did was say I have no money." She frowned, her eyes narrowing in thought. "At least, I have no money anymore, not since I lost it."

"You lost it?"

"Yes, I've traveled a lot since I was kicked out of my Clan." She smiled, tilting her head back to see the sky. "Temari decided to help me because I fainted in their path as they were coming to Konohagakure, you know. Before then, I'd gotten into a little mishap with some other shinobi, I believe they were from this Otogakure place, but perhaps they were not, it was quite dark out. I am never one to stop simply because I have gotten blood on my clothes, so I did not notice that I was covered, nor did I really care afterward. I was looking for a stream to clean up at when I sensed their presence and stepped onto the path, and then, I woke up and Temari was standing next to me."

The voice in her head snickered. " _Liar, liar, liar. Such a good little liar you are, girl. Perhaps you should next tell him that you enjoyed ripping their bodies to pieces, and that you know jutsus that are called forbidden for a reason._ "

"I see," Naruto smiled. "But, Gaara's my friend. Besides, I want ramen, and you've never had ramen! We  _need_  ramen!"

Her lips tilted slightly, "You sound obsessed."

"What?" he asked.

"Hm, strange." Her eyes clouded over. Her voice lowered, "I am obsessed, too."

Naruto blinked, "Huh?"

"Oh, nothing!" Kagome smiled, before turning her eyes toward the person walking slightly to her right. "Now, Gaara-sama, why are you so silent?"

He turned toward her, his eyes bored. Inside was a different story. He was amused with the fact that she was trying to engage him in conversation, but another part of him was thinking of something else. She had just said she was obsessed, even if Naruto hadn't been paying attention. What was she obsessed with? He would not admit it, but he did remember her mumbled 'blood' in her sleep the night he'd watched her, having nothing else to do. Was she obsessed with blood? Or was she obsessed with something else?

 _You just seem to become more and more intriguing with each moment, don't you, woman?_  Gaara thought, continuing to stare at her. Her expression was confused, though he could see the slight color staining her cheeks, and knew that she was slightly nervous and perhaps embarrassed by his intense stare. It was surprising that she had not looked away, though, for most would have by now—especially women. Yet, she continued to hold his gaze, her eyes hiding something that he couldn't quite find, and he wondered what it was.

He'd gotten very good at reading people's eyes when he was younger. He could tell hers without even having to try. Her eyes were guarded, trying to block him out, yet he saw through the cracks that she gave away. He saw the conflict, and he saw hidden lust, but he saw a determination to show others  _something_  important. Beneath that there was more, the eyes of someone who'd seen too much in their life for one person to handle without losing a piece of sanity. There was a strong fire that burned, and all these things seemed to melt together into one. It was strange, like she was two or three different people in one body, yet she was not. Those eyes, though, told a different story.

"You know, it gets kind of weird with you two staring at each other like that after a while," Naruto grumbled. "You sure you haven't met before, cause you've both got the silent act down to an art?"

Kagome shook her head, her eyes having been staring at Gaara's hair. Her heart was pounding, though she doubted either of them could hear it, no matter how loudly it pounded against her chest.  _Blood… blood…_ She shook her head once more, her breathing coming out faster. "Did you say something, Naruto?" she asked, standing straighter. She tried to make her voice sound normal, but she knew there was a slightly dark strain behind it, the strain that always entered her voice whenever her mind went down that path.

The voice inside her head turned smug, the image of red eyes once more flashing in her mind. " _No matter how much you try, you'll never get away from it, little girl._ " Blinking it away, she caught sight of a row of fangs, and wondered why she continued to see these things? Why she saw things, when the voice was nothing more than a voice? Then again, she'd always found herself saying one moment that it was simply a voice, and then the next saying it was apart of her. Maybe she'd truly lost it? " _I am apart of you, and sooner or later you'll lose control. Then, I'll be in control and they will all die._ "

Naruto frowned. "You two are weird," he stated.

Kagome snorted, turning her head away. "Makes one wonder why we're associated with you. If we're weird, then you're way off the scale, pervert," she growled.

Naruto huffed, "Stop calling me that!"

"Well, its true,  _pervert_."

"WHAT!?!" Naruto whined. "I'm nothing like Ero-Sennin!"

Turning her head so that she was staring down the path, villagers lining the entire way, she decided to ignore him. The voice in her head became irritated almost each time Naruto spoke, it wanted her to stab him in the back, rather than allow him to live a moment longer. The voice in her head began to whisper at her once more, softly influencing her actions, though she tried to stop it. Her gaze caught sight of red, and once more her eyes drifted up to Gaara's hair, noticing that it was just the right color. Her hand unconsciously came up and started playing with the strand of her own blood red locks, and smirked at the thought.

Memories of the past began to flood her mind, her body beginning to walk with more confidence as she thought about it. Blood flew across her vision, her eyes turning arrogant as she went through each memory. The red liquid flew into the air, as she once again experienced herself ripping her weapon through the shoulder of one of her Clan members. Her fingers twisted harder on her hair, her hands wishing to once again make the seals, to see the shock on their faces as they realized she was going to kill them, all of them. Her eyes hardened, drifting away from the hair of the Kazekage, even though he was staring right at her, and sought out anyone that could be her prey for the moment. Anyone that could satisfy the feeling once again bubbling underneath her flesh, though she had been sure she'd satisfied it before.

"Hey," Naruto said, once again waving his hand in front of her face. "Are you going to pay attention to me, or what?"

"What?" she snapped.

Naruto flinched, "You don't have to yell, you know."

"Well, then don't get in my face," she snarled. Her eyes hardened more, her hand pulling at her hair in order to stop herself from lashing out at the man beside her. She shot him a glare, and then turned back to the road in front of her, beginning to walk. "Annoying brat."

Naruto blinked in confusion, turning to look at Gaara, as the Kazekage stared after Kagome. "What's her problem? Did I say something wrong, or what?" he asked, knowing that Gaara would have most likely caught whatever it was that he did wrong. He knew that though Gaara might have seemed like he was bored and uninterested that he was paying attention most of the time.

He heard a chuckle inside his head, and huffed at the fact that now Kyuubi wanted to pay attention to anything that was happening. The fox had become silent since a few days ago, saying something about a bloodlust filling the air, coming toward the village and that he should be ready. Now, the fox merely laughed at him whenever he tried to say anything, mentioning dogs and forests far away. He was seriously starting to think that Kyuubi had finally cracked.

"Hm."

Naruto frowned, "That's not helpful, Gaara."

Gaara shook his head. "You're supposed to be following her, Naruto. Perhaps you should try doing your job, instead of allowing her to do whatever she wishes. Her weapons might have been taken from her, but she could still be dangerous."

"But she seemed so nice earlier," Naruto said, watching as Gaara began walking after her. He jogged toward him in order to catch up, watching the woman as she continued forward, looking back and forth.

"People are not always as they seem," Gaara reminded him.

"I know that," Naruto argued. "But she seemed sincere. She looked as if she was actually telling the truth, and now, she's like this. Why… I don't understand?"

Gaara shook his head, watching her as she continued forward. She'd pulled out the water bottle that Tsunade had given to her, saying that it was one of the only items she was going to receive until she proved herself. She opened it and tilted her head back, allowing the red liquid to enter her mouth, and he narrowed his eyes at the strange smell. Whatever it was, it was meant to quench some type of need, it was so strong—he had to assume that it was made to be stronger than whatever it was that she really wanted, and thus quenched her thirst for a short time.

She turned toward them, frowned, and then crossed her arms waiting for them. Wondering why she had suddenly stopped, he noticed that she'd also relaxed some. His eyes narrowed, thinking that perhaps whenever her need came upon her she changed. Much like he used to whenever he needed to kill a powerful opponent. She changed, but when her need was quenched, she'd revert to a somewhat kind person who'd easily fit in with others. Yes, she was more dangerous than she truly seemed, and she'd need to be watched.

Naruto huffed, glaring at the ground. He wasn't sure he wanted to do this job anymore; especially not now that Kyuubi was silently mocking him from his prison. Besides, Gaara seemed interested enough, which was quite something, so he could do it if he really wanted to. And Gaara was the silent type; he'd easily be able to follow her around without her knowing he was. Plus, his eyes lost a bit of their normal glow; she'd sounded somewhat like Sakura when she'd snapped at him, calling him a 'brat'.  _Sakura…_

"Hey, dobe."

Naruto lifted his head, coming to a stop, and turned to look at the man who'd suddenly appeared beside him. His eyes filled a little with happiness, glad to see his friend. "Sasuke-teme," he greeted, smiling once more, though there was a slight growl in his voice.

Sasuke scowled, "What are you doing? You're making enough noise to tell everyone in the village that you're in need of attention."

Naruto growled fully. "I'm not in need of attention, Sasuke-teme."

"Yeah, then what would you call it then?" Sasuke smirked.

"Whatever," Naruto said darkly. "Besides, I don't have time for you, I'm on a mission!"

"A mission?" Sasuke frowned. "You're doing a lousy job then."

"Am not!"

Sasuke shook his head. "What is this mission, anyway?"

Naruto grabbed him by the sleeve, and pointed toward where Gaara had walked off. The Kazekage had finally stopped and the standing next to Kagome, while the woman stared up at him, being shorter in size. Her eyes darkened and he wondered what exactly she was thinking about while she stared at his friend. "See that woman with Gaara?"

"What about her?" Sasuke lifted an eyebrow, his eyes taking on a suspicious gleam at the fact that the woman stood so casually next to the Kazekage. Gaara seemed to be talking to her, though his lips did not move much, as she spoke. He almost wished he could hear what they were talking about, since it wasn't everyday that Gaara spent time around a woman, especially not one that seemed to like to talk. And especially not when most of the women simply wanted him for his looks or the fact that he was high in power. They were pitiful, even if they didn't know it, but she acted differently than those women. He didn't even need the Sharingan to notice that from the distance.

"She's my mission," Naruto smirked. "Gaara and his siblings brought her here because she fainted in front of them or something like that, and she was covered in blood. Tsunade-baa-chan wants me to watch her until she can prove that she's not going to harm the village."

"So," Sasuke frowned, "you get to watch over a woman?"

"Yup," Naruto replied.

"Hm. Tell me when she slits your throat, ok?" Sasuke said, his lips tilting slightly as his friend bristled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Naruto nearly yelled.

"I want to see how long it takes before she decides she can't stand you anymore. Really, Tsunade-sama must be really losing it if she wants  _you_  to watch over a possibly dangerous woman." Sasuke's lips turned downward, mentally shaking himself at the fact that he was thinking of  _that_  again. Once again thinking of it and blaming himself for being the reason why Naruto no longer had the woman he loved by his side.

Naruto turned away from him, thinking about stomping away from his old friend. "Yeah, well, you just watch, Sasuke-teme. I'll do the mission, survive, and then rub it in your face that I got to spend my time with a pretty woman who doesn't throw herself at me at every chance she can get," he smirked. He loved to tease Sasuke about the fact that the women of the village still did that, and was right to say so when the Uchiha shuddered a little. "Besides, I also got Tsunade-baa-chan to agree to allow Kakashi-sensei to watch over my apartment until the mission is over."

"He gets to watch over that dump?"

"Yup," Naruto grinned. "Clean it, too."

Sasuke snorted, "Fun."

* * *

"Who is that?" she asked.

Gaara remained silent, turning his eyes to look at where she was looking. Apparently Naruto was speaking to Sasuke, once again ignoring the fact that he had a mission to do. Frowning at that fact, wondering if he was going to be able to get any information on this strange woman without following her himself, he asked himself why he didn't allow Tsunade to allow Sasuke to watch Kagome. At least the Uchiha would have been able to do his job and stick to it, instead of getting distracted by things around him.

"Are you going to answer me or stand there all day?" she asked, returning her eyes to him. She watched as once again his eyes narrowed a bit, but she knew it was only in annoyance. Scowling a little, she turned her head so that she was staring off into the distance. "So…" she frowned, "where's Temari been lately?"

"It hasn't been more than a day," he stated.

"So? It's a simple question, can't you find an answer to it?"

"Temari is most likely with Kankurou," he said. "Or with one of the village kunoichi that might have drug her off somewhere."

"I see," she said.  _Friends._

" _Yes, girl. Friends; something you no longer have._ " Once again the voice in her head laughed. " _You killed them, remember?_ "

 _They weren't my friends,_  she responded.  _They did not even have the right to be called such. I have no friends and I have no need of such._

" _Yet you want something, don't you? You seem to be getting along quite well with the former vessel of Shukaku. Perhaps you're finally thinking more of your human bodily needs. Mating, I believe,_ " it replied.

 _You're obviously delusional._  She wasn't surprised when she did not get a response. The voice seemed to have decided to ignore her and she was happy for that. She was beginning to once again regain control over her obsession, stopping herself from going out of control and killing a lot of innocent people. She had nearly lost control when she'd started ignoring Naruto, thinking of things that she needed to lock up. Allowing those things to wander around inside her head meant that she'd do something she didn't want to do, at least not until she knew she needed it once more.

"You seem upset with that," he said.

She shook her head, once again returning to her pleasant state. "No, not at all. I merely wished to know where the one who actually was and most likely still is concerned with my health was, nothing more. I am used to moving constantly, remaining unattached to anything and everything around me."

Gaara nodded slightly. He understood that. If a person was not attached to anything, then they had no reason to be guilty when they left; nor did they have a reason to stay. He'd often thought that it was best to remain unattached to everything, to simply trust in himself and nothing else, but then he'd become friends with Naruto. The man had taught him the reason as to why it was good to have friends, but he still thought sometimes that it would have been better if he had never become friends with him, or any of them.

* * *

"So, where do we get this 'ramen' you spoke so fondly of?"

"Oh, you're talking to me now, are you?" Naruto asked.

She blushed a little, "I'm sorry I snapped at you, I'm just not used to having others bring me out of memories, that's all." She turned her attention toward the Kazekage at her other side, and then continued. "I'm not used to having many people around me, either. I guess that along with the noise probably caused my rise in temper."

Naruto stuck his nose into the air, "That doesn't change the fact that you yelled at me."

"I didn't raise my voice," she frowned. "If you believe I did, then perhaps you need your ears checked." Her frown quickly turned into a small smirk, her blush fading from her cheeks. "Especially before you go on another  _important_  mission, since I believe you might get yourself killed with hearing like yours."

"Why's that?"

"You might mistake your own allies for your opponents, and then," her eyes took on a darker glaze, "you'll have their blood on their hands."

Once again he turned his attention toward her, wondering what it was about her that sparked his interest. She spoke so softly whenever she spoke of death and blood and things that most wished to avoid speaking of. She spoke as if it was something natural in her life and she needed to embrace it in order to move forward on her chosen path. Gaara frowned, turning his head away as he thought about it. This was certainly not like him. He'd only agreed to loan Naruto money and join them simply because of her, but he couldn't figure out why he'd done that. She was just a woman, possibly an insane woman, but a woman nonetheless.

His frown deepened, wondering why she was so intriguing. He'd wanted to ignore her completely when she'd stumbled upon them, yet after that night of watching her, wondering at the reason why she gave him that strange uneasy feeling; something had become interested in her. Perhaps it was due to the demon influence he'd had until Shukaku was extracted from him, or perhaps it was because he spent too much time around Naruto, giving him a sense of curiosity. Whatever the reason, it was beginning to become annoying, even if it was pushed down each time something new was presented by her.

Naruto scowled, "I wouldn't do that."

She continued to talk casually, her hands coming up to lock behind her back. "You never know." Her eyes darkened a bit more, "People can expect you to do one thing in life and you will do another. People can want you to do something, make a fool of yourself in order to get rid of you, but then you will prove to them that you belong. People around you can do many things, but it's the things you do that determine how they react to you. Even so, you can end up making a mistake and then they'll still try to get rid of you."

"Is that what happened to you?" Naruto asked. "Is that why you were kicked out of your Clan? You did something that they didn't like, even after you proved to them that you belonged with them?"

"You ask too many questions, Naruto," she frowned. "Perhaps you should try to learn and control your mouth once in a while. Don't you understand that I'm not allowed to speak of them?"

"Yeah, I understand that, but—"

She glared at him, once again feeling the influence of the voice inside her head coming to life. "No, there are no buts, Naruto," she hissed lightly. Her lip once again rose in a snarl, "Perhaps you should merely follow me like a shadow if you cannot figure out what exactly 'not allowed' means. I'm sure I can find something in my free time in order to feed myself, instead of mooching off the Kazekage. No offence, Gaara-sama."

"Yeah, maybe I will," Naruto growled. He glared back at her, watching as her eyes hardened and she snorted in his face. Feeling the amusement of Kyuubi fluttering inside his mind, he growled again, wondering why the damn fox was enjoying this. He didn't think he'd ever get women, since first they were nice to him and then they were rude and then they wanted nothing to do with him, before reverting back to the first one.

" _The fox needs to learn his place,_ " she heard.

 _That he does,_  she agreed. She didn't understand why she agreed, but she felt that in some way this 'fox' had done something that caused something that she couldn't remember. Or maybe it was just the voice getting to her once again, she didn't know.

"Then why don't you do it, instead of standing there acting like you might?" she asked, trying to make him angry. She wasn't sure what was wrong with her all of a sudden, since she was usually nice with people until her need came upon her. There was something about the man who'd been chosen to watch her that she didn't like, though. Something that caused a silent fury to bubble underneath her body, and she pondered upon it for a little while. She knew she'd need to do something about it, unless she wanted to end up giving herself away, which meant she'd need to figure out what was wrong and right it with Naruto, or everything would go downhill.

Not that that wouldn't have its benefits, though. Once more she'd be able to fill herself, even if it was earlier than she would have anticipated. Still, she needed to learn how to control herself, no matter how many measures she needed to go to in order to achieve it. Which meant she might need to avoid this 'fox' at any cost, and she'd do it if she had to. She, after all, was known for surprising her opponents, and she was sure she could outsmart this man.

He watched her interaction with Naruto, determining whether he needed to speak with Tsunade in order to have Naruto taken off the mission and someone else put in his place. He noted that she seemed to try and be polite to his friend, but she couldn't seem to keep that politeness for very long, almost instantly turning upon him, lashing out with words. There had to be a reason as to why she was acting this way, unless there was more to the slight twitching of her eyebrow and her lifted lip. Perhaps she truly was insane, or controlled in some way, and meant to try and obtain the vessel of Kyuubi for Akatsuki, or perhaps Sasuke for Orochimaru. It would certainly explain why she singled out Naruto and instantly went after him, knowing that in both cases he had been a large reason as to why their plans had failed, whether it was to capture Kyuubi or Sasuke.

"Fine, I'll do it then!" Naruto snapped, his glare becoming a bit harder. Turning away, he turned his head in order to once again shoot her a glare, and then leapt from the ground, taking to the roofs of the buildings, his thirst for ramen forgotten. Taking to the shadows, he decided to watch her the way that most would, not wishing to get close to their mission. He noticed, though, that Gaara only shook his head and jerked his head toward the ramen shop, leading her toward it.

His stomach growled, reminding him the exact moment that they walked inside that he was hungry. Pouting from his lookout, he cursed himself for allowing her words to get to him before he'd gotten his food. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his frog shaped wallet and opened it to find that though he'd wished for money, it didn't appear in his wallet. Tears filled his eyes, while he sank to a sitting position, wondering just what type of ramen they were eating at that moment. He hoped it was beef, or shrimp, or miso, because he might be able to smell it and imagine himself eating it, thus satisfying his hunger for a while. At least until he could get someone else to give him some money, or got time from his current mission to return to his apartment for his instant ramen.


	6. Five

A knock signaled that there was someone at the door. Kagome gripped her hair tighter, wondering why her need was becoming stronger, no matter how hard she fought it? Why was it becoming stronger, when she'd fed herself not long ago? Hell, she'd noticed that it was starting to blossom more and more with each moment that she'd spent next to the Kazekage the day before, eating ramen while he sat there. Sure, the food had been good, but for some reason the color of his hair seemed even better.

Breathing deeply, she closed her eyes tightly; wishing the person outside her room would go away. She knew it wasn't Naruto; he'd been staring at her through her window until she shut the curtain since they returned to the Hokage Tower. Obviously her words had sunk in and he was determined to prove that he could keep to the shadows, even when it was obvious where he was most of the time. At times he'd hide himself, but for some reason she'd noticed that she saw past his silly little hiding places with ease and smoked him out. He was always surprised, much to her satisfaction, and the voice inside of her mind continued to laugh at the fact that she was making a fool out of the almighty 'fox', whatever that meant.

Once again they knocked and she growled underneath her breath. She needed to control herself, she knew that. She needed to make the hunger go away and not think about it for a while, but it was so hard when she couldn't come up with a reason to do so. Especially when she had been within the presence of a man, something she had not done for quite some time, that had just the prefect color of hair. A color she loved so much, which was probably why the voice in her head continued to ask her stupid questions about it. It had to even been two days; she did not have feelings for any of them.

They were her prey, the ones that would give her what she wanted. They were nothing more and nothing less, and she liked them that way.

"Kagome, are you alright?"

 _Temari_ , she sighed. "Yes. I was merely thinking; you may come in if you so want to, Temari."

The door opened slowly, and Temari peeked inside. She opened the door fully to show another woman with her, one that was playing with her thumbs a little and looking toward the floor. Narrowing her eyes, she wondered why this new woman was so nervous, and her mind instantly clicked to a way of getting rid of her should she prove a problem. No matter how much she tried to shake it away, it wouldn't leave, for some reason the white pupil-less eyes glancing up at her gave her a sense that this new woman might be able to see right through her.

Temari stepped inside, noticing the way Kagome stiffened at the presence of someone she did not know. Frowning at the darkening of her hopefully new friends eyes, she hoped that she hadn't been wrong about her. She hoped that Kagome wasn't going to end up being from Akatsuki or Otogakure, for she was actually starting to like her, no matter how secretive she was. "I hope you don't mind I brought someone with me," Temari said.

"Of course not," she said, her voice lowering. She shifted on the bed so that she was sitting with her legs crossed and facing this possible new threat. These people be damned, she was not going to allow anyone to take her by surprise. She watched, though, as the new woman blushed a bit from her intense gaze, and lowered her head in embarrassment. It proved to her that she was either a very good actor, or she was very shy.

"Go on and introduce yourself," Temari said, nudging the woman slightly in the side.

"U-um, hi," she stuttered. "I-I'm Hyuuga H-Hinata."

So that was the reason she didn't like those eyes, that intense look that she'd been given so long ago when she was younger.  _A Hyuuga_ , she thought. She could remember a time in which a Hyuuga had come through their village seeking their Clan elders, and had gazed at her while she was walking past in order to go to her father for their training. She remembered those eyes all to well, especially the way they'd taken on a strange look, the veins bulging slightly, and the man had narrowed his eyes at her in disgust and wonder. "Kagome," she replied.

She heard the window sliding open before anyone could stop it, and looked over to find Naruto looking in. Sneering at him, she said, "And here I thought you were going to keep to your word of staying in the shadows. It appears that you cannot even remember such things, or perhaps you're merely not honorable enough to keep to your word."

Naruto scowled, "Shut up. I came to say 'hello' to Hinata. Besides, Tsunade-baa-chan told me that I was supposed to sleep by the door or window inside this room, and if you haven't noticed, it's starting to get dark outside." He shook his head, wondering what her problem was. He'd noticed that to almost everyone she was polite and almost so quiet that she barely said anything, but she was different toward him. Hell, he could bet that she'd become quick friends with Sasuke when it came to putting him down, though Sasuke only did it to keep reminding him the reason why he was his friend at all.

Her eyes sought the sky outside as he climbed inside the window, and found that it was beginning to get dark. Sending him a dark look, she turned her attention back to the women standing confused just inside her doorway. "Indeed," she muttered. The only thing good about his sudden arrival was the fact that she'd managed to drown out the almost constant chant for death inside her head. Her hands twitched, nearly forming the first of many hand signs, but she managed to keep herself from placing her hands together for it, for then she would have made the next, and the one after that, until she'd killed them all.

"N-Naruto," Hinata smiled, a soft blush forming on her cheeks. She knew that it wasn't right to try and gain his attention anymore, though, not when it had only been two years from Sakura's death. She still wasn't sure what had happened, only that Naruto had stumbled into the village with her limp body in his arms, hoping to give her a proper burial. In fact, she doubted that anyone but Sasuke really knew what had happened.

He brightened, turning his attention away from the woman who obviously wanted nothing to do with him at the moment. "Hey, Hinata," he grinned.

Temari shook her head, and stepped toward Kagome. The woman had shaken her head and turned it to the side so that she didn't have to look at any of them. She was stiff, a lot more than she remembered a few seconds ago, but almost so calm that she could have sworn something could explode without reason and she wouldn't even twitch. Reaching her hand down, she flicker open the small bag Tsunade had given her, and pulled out a scroll. "Tsunade-sama wanted me to ask you what this is and why you carry it around?" she said, gaining Kagome's blank eyed stare.

"It is a summoning scroll, and I believe the reason I carry it is quite clear," Kagome replied. "Is that all you want? I am beginning to feel tired with the amount of idiocy that has entered this room."

Temari frowned. She was getting nowhere now that Naruto had come onto the scene, but it made her mind begin ticking, and it was just another question she wanted to ask. Why was it that Kagome didn't like Naruto, besides the fact that he was chosen to follow her everywhere? "I knew that. What I meant was that Tsunade-sama wants to know what it summons, and if someone else wrote their name inside, if they'd be able to summon a creature from the same species?"

"It summons an animal, yes," Kagome said. "And no to the second question."

Temari sighed. "Why is it you won't tell me what it summons?" she asked.

"Why is it you're interrogating me?" Kagome responded. "I believe the answer is because I do not wish to give you the information, and you want it. I could tell you what it summons, but what would be the point if I am not going to be staying here very long? I am only staying so that I can prove to Hokage-sama that I am not a threat to this village and get my items returned to me. After all, Hokage-sama told me that I will not be given my weapons, nor anything else I was carrying with the exception of my water bottle, until I prove I am not a threat to this village or any other within the area, whether I wish to leave or not."

Temari's frown deepened. Tsunade wasn't going to give her any of her things, even if she decided to leave and never return? Certainly there was a reason for that, and if she had to think of a sudden reason, she'd pin it on Gaara. She didn't think that Tsunade would be cruel enough to allow a person to leave without any type of protection except his or her own hands and jutsu. Still, she could have sworn that Kagome, from what she'd been told, was rather nice, yet now she was acting like she didn't care about anything but herself. There was something about her that was mysterious and strange, like she could suddenly change between them and not give a damn. Like she liked playing with the hearts and minds of others.

"Maybe someday I'll  _show_  you what it summons, Temari, but until then it is my property and my business. It is in your hands, thus making it so that I cannot use it to harm this village, though I could summon one creature, instead of the three that it summons when you use the scroll. However, even if it is in your hands does not mean that I will suddenly bow to your will and spill everything about myself," Kagome's blank eyes became sharp, peering at Temari as if she could see everything about her. "Should you prove to be worthy enough, I might show you what it summons in the future, or I may keep it to myself until I am allowed to leave with  _all_  of  _my_  items."

"Very well, I'll tell Tsunade-sama that," Temari replied. "I don't think it's right to keep your things from you if you wish to leave, so I won't push this. However, don't be surprised if you get a visit from Ibiki or Tsunade-sama herself for the answers."

"Whoever this Ibiki is will not get the information either, tell her that. I can become rather silent and closed off from the rest of the world if I want to, and I will in order to keep my business my own," Kagome snorted. Normally she did not try to close herself off unless she was getting away from her problems, or did not wish to deal with the fact that she had the blood of so many people on her hands and wanted more. It helped her cope, simply blanking out and allowing time to pass, though she knew that soon afterward everything caught up with her again.

Temari sighed. "Of course."

"Hm, what are you doing here, Hinata?" Naruto asked. He'd been listening to Temari talk with Kagome, but decided they were no longer important. Hinata, though kind of strange with her near constant blushing and the fact she played with her thumbs, was much more interesting than both of them. Especially Kagome.

"U-um, I-I c-came with Temari t-to," Hinata began. She always did that whenever Naruto asked her a question directly. She wished she didn't, but she did. However, she was glad that she was saved, even if the reply from the woman she'd just met was rather rude.

"Obviously she is here because Temari brought her," Kagome frowned. "If you had paid attention to the fact that they came together, you would have  _possibly_  been able to put those pieces together."

"I asked Hinata, not you," Naruto scowled. "Can't you keep your mouth shut?"

"I could, but what would be the point when you're within my room? After all, you may have been ordered to become my shadow, but you're rather dumb. I do hope you'd noticed that about yourself before and are not getting a newsflash about the way your brain obviously  _does not_  function," she growled. She lifted her lip slightly, as if to show off her teeth in a snarl, and glared full-heartedly at him. Hostility was written deeply in her words, and could have burned him through her eyes if it was able to.

The laughing inside her head increased in volume, though she'd been positive she'd managed to push the annoying voice out of her head. Apparently it had not worked for long, for it was beginning to come back, and she could almost hear the words clearly as it spoke of her accomplishment, or something like that. She did not particularly care at the moment; she was more worried about her reactions toward Naruto. She'd never met him; yet she felt she should hate him, despise the very fact that he lived, and shoot as many insults as she could at him. Make him feel so badly about himself that perhaps he'd die on the inside, giving her some much needed satisfaction as her need was reminded to her.

"T-there's no reason t-to become an-anger at one another," Hinata stuttered, looking between them. She was surprised by the fact that usually happy, smiling Naruto had suddenly darkened in front of her as soon as he'd turned eyes upon Kagome. Why didn't he like her? Yes, Kagome, even now, did not seem like the newest person, but she wasn't the rudest either, and she bet that if they tried to, they could be friends. It didn't seem like they were going to try anytime soon, though.

"I apologize, Hyuuga-san," Kagome said, turning her attention away from Naruto as if he wasn't even there, leaving him to fume. "I should not be so rude in the presence of someone I have just met."

"O-oh, y-you don't have to a-apologize, K-Kagome-san."

"Just Kagome is fine, Hyuuga-san," Kagome said, her lips tilting slightly in a smile.

* * *

"You never did tell me how it went," Tsunade said, surprising sober.

 

"Hm?"

"During the time that you went out with Naruto and Kagome. You never mentioned what happened. I would like to know if you found out anything, and how they are treating each other." Tsunade placed her face in her hands. "I want to know if Naruto was the best choice or not."

Gaara blinked. "She seemed to flicker between emotions that she could not control, and though was polite at first, did turn slightly aggressive toward Naruto. After that she seemed to challenge him so that he'd be put out of her sight, and almost out of her hair. I believe Naruto was complaining about 'tricky wenches' and not getting fed once we exited the ramen shop."

Tsunade nodded. "I sent Temari to find out more about that strange summoning scroll. I swear I have seen something like it before, but I cannot remember from where. If I could, perhaps I could begin piecing together the puzzle of where she came from. Until then, though, we can only hope that Temari, being the one who brought her here, is able to get through to her, possibly befriend her, and find out more about her." She frowned, "There's something about her that screams to be afraid of her, even if she hides it so well underneath her smiles and politeness."

Gaara nodded.

She sighed, feeling quite tired at that moment. "So, you noticed it too, did you?"

"Yes," he said, though he was sure his nod had confirmed it the first time.

Tsunade's eyes clouded over, and she allowed her chin to sink further into her folded hands. "She's dangerous," she said after a moment. "I have this feeling that she is not dangerous to us at the moment, but within time her true colors will show. She could be a danger to us and to others. Something about her reminds me of someone I know I should be able to think of instantly, but I cannot from the way she acts, for in my mind I know that she acted completely different from the person I am  _trying_  to compare her to. Someone… someone that  _came_  from this village," she muttered. "I wish I could remember."

"I'm sure in time you will," Gaara replied.

"Perhaps," Tsunade sighed. "Or perhaps in time I shall fail this village and get the people killed."

Gaara grunted. "By thinking that way you will undoubtedly do so."

Tsunade scowled at him. "Yes, you're just so…  _comforting_ , aren't you?" She didn't expect an answer and she didn't get one from the Kazekage. Sighing again, she turned her scowl to the stack of paperwork on her desk, and wondered if she should go through it, and see what needed her attention and what could be put off for a while. She didn't like paperwork and she didn't want to do it, but at least it would get her mind off the problem that had been dragged into Konohagakure, whoever the woman may really be.

In that instant, though, Tsunade's eyes, even with her beauty jutsu, looked very tired and very, very old.

* * *

" _Kill him_ ," the voice whispered.

 

 _No_.

" _Do it._ "

_No._

" _Foolish girl._ "

 _Shut up_.

" _You're becoming more and more stubborn, but you do not realize that by ignoring me you're only putting strain on your body. You will kill eventually, why not just get it done and over with. At least this way you can kill him while he sleeps and get rid of the body without anyone noticing._ "

 _Go away_ , she sounded tired from her lack of sleep, and angry at the fact that when she was trying to do so the voice popped into her head. Temari had left many hours ago, almost with Hinata, much to her relief, and then Naruto had returned to his post by the window. Now, he slept there, his head slightly tilted to one slide as he drooled and mumbled about his obsession.

" _Kill him_."

She reached up once more to twist her hair between her fingers, willing the voice away. She felt her body wish to do as the voice said, but she had more control than that, she always had. She would not do what it said simply because it needed something. She was her own person, it was nothing—she would do what she wanted and when she wanted, not when it told her to do something. It might say it was real, but she instinctively knew not to trust it, even when it had been with her for so long now.

" _Give me his blood and be done with this village_ ," the voice snapped. " _Do it, you foolish girl!_ "

 _You don't control me,_  she whispered. She twisted her fingers tighter, her eyes blanking out as she stared at the wall. Silently she turned so that she was lying on her back, and listened to the sounds of the night. She stiffened a bit when she heard footsteps outside the door, and felt some strange prickling over her skin, it felt almost like sand, but then it was gone and the person moved on. She knew the presence of the person, she knew that she did, but she was so tired from not being able to sleep that she could not tell exactly who it was.

" _Take back your weapons if you must so rely on them and flee this village._ " The voice chuckled a bit. " _Go to a place far from here and to people you're not becoming soft over and give me more blood. Release me._ "

 _No_.

It sighed. " _You're the one saying you have no friends and will never allow anyone close. You're the one talking about not becoming attached, but I think you're becoming attached. You're becoming attached to Shukaku's old vessel and do not wish to give me Kyuubi's blood because you do not wish to take away something close to_ him _. You're becoming soft, foolish girl. Within such a short time, I believe you're finally beginning to wish to rebel against me and be good._ " It stopped for a moment. " _Tell me, girl, will you give up the blood? Can you? Is your softness so much that you will give up the one thing that brings you true happiness?_ "

She huffed. "I am not becoming soft," she said aloud, quietly.

" _Prove it_."

_No._

" _Coward_."

Her eyes hardened. She growled deep in her throat, and sat up in bed.  _You will not rule me,_  she snapped, her voice beginning to strengthen and rise in volume. She noticed then that the voice had not replied, or tried to stop her from saying anything. She waited for a few moments, and finally sighed when she did not get a response. She would not take its words to heart, for blood was something she would never give up, not for anyone, but she was not becoming soft. She would do what she wanted, when she wanted, and right now she wanted to sleep. In the morning she would think about why the need was beginning to catch up with her when she'd fed it not long ago.

_In the morning…_

" _Always putting it off,_ " the voice whispered. " _Foolish girl_."

She growled in annoyance, having almost nodded off to sleep. Her eyes opened once more, and she stared at the wall.

" _You cannot deny it, you're becoming soft_."

She did not reply.

" _You're nothing but a foolish girl controlled by your obsession._ "

Her eyes narrowed.

" _You have not even been within Shukaku's old vessel's presence for more than a few days and already you're bowing to him._ "

 _I am not bowing to anyone_ , she snarled.  _I am polite to Gaara-sama because he is the Kazekage of Sunagakure. To kill him would be getting the entire village, plus anyone from Konohagakure who has befriended him chasing me._

" _Good, more people for us to kill_."

 _Bad,_  she rolled her eyes.

" _You do not wish to do it because you're becoming obsessed with something else._ "

 _Shut up_ , she tried again.

" _Coward_ ," it whispered again. " _You bow before your 'need', as you call it. You bow before my silent demands. Now, you're bowing to a man you hardly know._ "

 _You're wrong_.

" _Prove it_."

_How?_

" _Kill Kyuubi_ ," it hissed. " _Kill him_."

Sitting up, she took in the form that was Naruto sitting beside her window. Her eyes hardened again, her tired form moving. Her hand reached out and pulled open the drawer of her nightstand, and took out the kunai she'd stolen from one of the ANBU who'd stood outside her door before they'd appointed Naruto as her guard and follower. Her mind was nearly closed off, thoughts of blood running over her arms and spraying against her body filling her head. A tiny smirk formed on her lips as she stood, and turned to face the slumbering man.

The voice became excited. " _Yes. Do it. Blood…_ "

"Blood," she whispered. She stepped toward him, the kunai glinting in the moonlight that came through the slightly parted curtain. Once more she stepped forward, coming closer and closer to him, each step silent and well placed, while her mind came alive, all traces of her once tired state disappearing. The silent, bloodlust-ing killer that she was came to life, her mind instantly turning to the one thing she wanted so much. Why, she did not know, it had become stronger lately, but she did not care as long as she got it.

The kunai twisted in her hand, while her fingers brought it up so that she could transfer it to her other hand, wanting the slice of his throat to be jagged and hurt when she inflicted the wound. When she ended his life, she wanted him to know that she'd liked the fact that he was in pain and choking on his own blood as it filled his lungs and throat. She usually went for the clean cut, knowing that there was a more likely chance that the person would die on the first strike and not call for help, but for some reason she wished to inflict pain, lots of pain, on the man in front of her.

The voice laughed, " _Blood…_ "

As she was transferring the kunai to her left hand, she looked down and caught sight of him in the metal. She paused for a moment, seeing his slumbering, peaceful state, and stilled. Her mind locked onto that, and she finally looked down at him, before becoming angry with herself. In her new fit of rage, she flung the kunai she was holding into the opposite wall and turned from Naruto.

" _What are you doing?_ " the voice in her head snapped. " _Stupid girl, finish the job!_ "

Moving toward the door, she opened it and looked back toward Naruto as he slept. Closing her eyes, she opened them once more and moved out of the room. "I will not harm a man who is not aware enough of his surroundings to defend himself," she whispered into the corridor, and then began walking the way she'd heard the footsteps move early.

The voice growled. " _Give me blood!_ "

 _When I am good and ready_ , she snapped. Her obsession pressed down on her shoulders, but she managed to shake it off for the moment. She needed something else, something that usually calmed her in times like these. She needed… she needed the moon. The one thing she'd stare at whenever the voice became too annoying for her to handle while her Clan was still alive, and escape from the world around her. She needed to go to the roof of Hokage Tower.


	7. Six

She was amazed that it was so easy to escape the watch of those idiots who'd managed to make it to the rank of jounin. She smirked, her blank eyes staring ahead of her as she walked. She had expected the Hokage to think of posting other guards to keep watch over her, she  _was_  dangerous, but she'd expected them to be better at their assignment. Not simply let her pass by without even once alerting them to her presence. They were idiots—idiots that would most likely die if she decided this village was no longer any use to her. If she decided to kill them all, they'd be some of the first to go, along with that annoying boy she'd nearly killed.

Bringing her hand up, she looked down at it, remembering the feel of the kunai in her hand. She'd only stopped because she'd been disgusted with herself that she'd go against her honor code and kill a man who was not able to defend himself. When on a mission it did not matter, only completing it, but this was not a mission. It had been something she was going to simply do because she wanted to, because she  _had_  bowed down to the whim of the annoying, pestering, demanding voice in her head. She had allowed it to sway her decision, and that made her steel herself harder against her obsession, not wanting to be controlled  _ever_  again.

She almost thought of going outside the village in order to kill something or someone, but she decided against it. If she was going to keep herself from killing, finding delight in the death of others, then she was going to do it when she wished to, not when a piece of her demanded it. She was not someone's servant, she did not take commands, she gave them. She controlled her life; she controlled when she fed her need and when she didn't, there was nothing that would change that. Not some stupid boy, not some stupid voice, and not some stupid village that had managed to get in her way. She was Kagome, not someone's dog.

Stepping outside onto a small balcony, she glanced upward toward the top. She guessed that it would be the best place to observe the object she sought. At least then the Hokage couldn't see it as a way of escape, or trying to, and have her imprisoned. She was still at the place she was supposed to be during the night, she simply would not be in it any longer. Gathering chakra into her feet, she knelt down and then leapt upward. She did not manage to make the complete distance, but she hit the side of Hokage Tower and began running up toward the roof. It did not take long, and she grabbed onto the roofing in order to swing herself up and then flipped into the correct position, feet hitting the roof without a sound.

Lifting her head, she instantly took sight of the moon. It hung high in the sky, casting a nightly glow over the land, allowing her to turn her head and see much of the village in every direction. Smirking, her eyes filled with a small lust, looking at all the homes that were spread out within the village. All the victims that she could easily kill from right there, and they'd allowed her into the village. They were fools. Had she still been in the village she'd come from, she would have either killed someone like her, or imprisoned them for major questioning. Not give them free room and board, or do whatever they wanted within the village with only one person to watch over them. She knew, though, that Temari had truly wished to help her, for she was not exactly sure what she'd done in order to allow her such freedom.

Shaking her head, she pushed down on the feeling rising inside of her, the small wicked grin on her lips disappearing as she sighed. Killing was something that came second nature to her, it was not something that was foreign or unknown, but she was not the type to kill people who could not protect themselves. During the time that she'd been tied down to her Clan, she'd done mission after mission where she'd kill them while they were sleeping, it was easier for the mission, but this was no mission. She often thought that life was a mission, but it was her mission, and she formed it how she wanted to. She would not kill people who were simply sleeping and not able to fight against her, for there was no fun in that.

Just like she would not kill Naruto while he slept. She did not understand why, she did not even know why, but she did not like him. She tried to make herself like everyone that she came in contact with so that it was easier to get close to them and kill them, but she could not bring herself to even tolerate him. Well, she tried to make others think she liked them, when usually she was indifferent to anything that they actually did or said. Sometimes she would find one that she would be kind to because she wanted to be, but they were killed faster than normal. Naruto… Naruto was someone whose death she wanted to draw out when and if she killed him, since she was not sure what she was going to do with this village yet. She wanted to kill him more than she'd wanted to kill anyone, besides a few choice others, and she was not entirely sure if that was her want, or that of the voices.

She hated the fact that it had an influence on her life. It was easy to ignore it until the lust became too much and she used a forbidden jutsu and killed, allowing their blood to run over her flesh. It was easy to ignore if she wanted to, but it was something that continued to annoy her. It had almost made her go against her honor, and she did not like that at all. It would be some time before she actually gave into its wish and bathed in the blood of others, no matter how much she wanted it, for it  _was_  becoming more annoying than usual. It had controlled her, and she did not like to be controlled.

Turning her attention away from her thoughts, she faced the moon. She blocked out everything else, another urge coming to the front of her mind. It was much different from the need that she'd become accustomed to, but it was an urge that she would indulge in. Rearing her head back, she went to do just that, when she felt something slide along the expanse of her leg. Stilling, she snapped her head around, and then stiffened when she was surprised, not understanding where the attack was coming from. Twisting her head around, her eyes wide, she growled in displeasure, ready to kill whoever was attacking her in such a strange way.

She nearly screamed when she felt more wrap around her legs, keeping her in place as she tried to pull away. Her hands came up to begin making signs that she knew so well, and then more of the substance wrapped around her hands, wrenching them apart. Snarling, Kagome whipped her head around, her eyes settling onto the only place someone could hide on top of Hokage Tower and cursed herself for being so foolish. She was defenseless in the hands of an unknown enemy, for with her growing need her senses were in disarray and she could not tell if the person was familiar to her or not.

Unable to beat her hands against the substance keeping her in place, Kagome reared her head back and did the only thing she could think of. She  _roared_. She felt something beating at her from the inside, the voice telling her that if she let it out it could help her, but she was still annoyed with it. She held it down as best she could, and then finally lowered her head, her eyes adjusting better to the moonlight, and she looked down at what was holding her, since she had not been struck in the back yet. Her eyes narrowed, and she snarled again, "Sand."

Almost as soon as she'd said it, the sand retreated from her, placing her back onto the ground to her surprise once again. She hated the fact that this enemy was able to surprise her twice in so little time, but she noticed that the sand around her hands holding them apart was still there, enabling her from using her jutsu. She growled once again, pulling and bringing it up in order to try and bite through it, but found it was solid around her wrists. This enemy would die for surprising her so easily, especially when they attacked at just the right time. She'd kill them, bath in their blood, and then escape from this ridiculous place where there was obviously an enemy at every turn.

They wanted to kill her, but she'd kill them before they got the chance.

"You're rather loud. You'll wake everyone if you continue at the pace you're going." Kagome looked around, her anger making her lose sight that she might know the voice. Growling again, she tried to determine where the person was speaking from, when he stepped out from his hiding place. Her growl stopped, her eyes locking onto the color of his hair, her breathing beginning to soften while her anger disappeared. Her need was reminded to her, and she had to stop herself from suddenly lashing out when finally the sand around her wrists sank away and returned to the gourd resting on the back of the man in front of her.

Panting through her nose, slightly glad to know that she was not actually being attacked, though she did not exactly dislike the thought, she allowed her stance to change. "Gaara-sama," she sighed. "I had thought for a moment that you were someone sent to kill me." She scowled, trying to step around the need inside of her by being concerned. "I would have hurt you if I could have."

"It seems to me that you were not aware enough to even tell I was here," Gaara replied. "You wouldn't have been able to hurt me before I kill you if I was here for an assassination mission. Letting your guard down in unfamiliar territory can and will get you killed."

"Underestimating an opponent can get  _you_  killed," she snorted.

He shook his head and allowed her to come closer as she began walking toward him. Giving her an uninterested gaze, he watched as she sank to the ground, bringing both legs up at an angle in order to rest her arms on her knees. Shaking his head lightly, he asked, "Shouldn't you be resting?"

"Shouldn't you?" she asked.

"I have not slept in years unless forced to," Gaara said.

She nodded, understanding. She'd once known someone who was not able to sleep and had not for many years unless it was forced upon them. Of course, they would always try to make someone believe them that they were fine, but the sleep, as unwanted as it was, usually helped them in order to function better. "I see," she said. "One day without rest will not harm me, though. If I am lucky, I shall sleep in tomorrow, or perhaps I shall wake early to go to wherever the training grounds are within this village." She waved her hand, and looked up to find that he had simply crossed his arms and turned his head up slightly to look at the moon, almost like he was ignoring her. With his bored expression, she wasn't exactly sure if she should be offended or ignore it.

He was slightly amazed that she would sleep at all in such a strange place. He doubted she'd ever stepped foot into Konohagakure, unless that explained her dislike for Naruto, but that didn't explain Naruto's dislike for her. There was something deeper than simply emotions that drove them to glare at one another, even when they'd both seemed to fight against whatever it was that caused them to suddenly go at one another. He didn't think it would be right to take Naruto off the mission so early, though, for that might make him think that he'd done something wrong and pout forever. He didn't like feeling guilty, and usually Naruto's bad mood, whenever he was in one, caused him to think he'd done something wrong. Naruto had saved his life; it was only right to try and do something in order to repay that, even though Naruto would probably tell him it was all right to just be his friend.

Still, the woman was intriguing. Everyone got along with Naruto, yet she did not get along with him and he did not get along with her. They acted like they were enemies on a battlefield, instead of simply two people who'd come into contact with each other. They acted like they were mortal enemies that would forever be hurting one another, yet from what he knew, they'd never met. What was it that caused them to do such a thing? Was she perhaps a demon vessel as well? It was a possibility, though he didn't have anything to prove that—he'd keep it to himself until he was positive, for it was not truly important until something happened to release the demon if she had one.

Turning his head so that he could watch her watch the moon, he blinked a few times. "Why is it you came here once you realized you could not sleep?" he asked.

She frowned, "Why do you wish to know?" Her eyes turned blank, hiding her emotions as she had learned to when she was little. She'd learned because she'd come to know that showing ones emotions only got the people around her into trouble. When she'd cared, they'd gotten hurt, so she'd learned how to hide it until she didn't care anymore. "If you're trying to get information out of me like Temari tried to earlier, I'll have you know that though you're the Kazekage of Sunagakure, I will not give you anything you wish to know. It is my business, no one needs to be putting their nose into it."

"You're very strange," Gaara commented. "I do not believe I have ever met a woman who is able to sound calm yet insult me at the same time."

"I didn't—" she stopped when she noticed the command in his eyes.

"Though you may not have meant to, you did. I was not trying to get information out of you; I wished to know why you came up here. To anyone else it might seem like you were either doing something that would harm this village, or trying to escape because of something they could find out about you." Gaara stared at her, "However, I care not either way."

"I apologize, Gaara-sama," she mumbled. "I came to simply gaze at the moon."

He stared once more, and then blinked, nothing more. She watched as he finally simply turned his head away, his mouth sealed tight, and she didn't think he'd say anything else. He didn't, which didn't surprise her. However, she stiffened a bit when he lowered himself to the rooftop beside her, bringing up one knee and bending the other in order to settle his hand onto his one knee bent off the roof. Giving him a small smile, she turned her head back toward the moon, her eyes though blank seeming to twinkle with an emotion only understood by herself. For it was comforting to know that someone was blunt to her, instead of lying like everyone who'd once foolishly called themselves her family.

"I will accompany you later to the training grounds," Gaara stated. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

She nodded. "It doesn't matter to me. It would be good to have someone to spar with. Though I'll probably feel childish doing so, I have not done it since I was very young."

"Hm."

Yes, the woman was intriguing. Very intriguing.

* * *

He woke slowly, frowning slightly at the thought of having that woman around him once more. He didn't know why she snapped at him and he snapped back. He'd wanted to be her friend when he'd first met her, maybe even help her with whatever was wrong with her, but things had gone downhill, quickly. Naruto wasn't sure if he'd ever be able to get her to become his friend, or if he even wanted her to be, especially after the day before with Hinata. He'd wanted to speak with Hinata, but she'd gotten into the conversation like she was simply trying to find a reason to put him down. It annoyed him and even Kyuubi growled a little each time something rude came out of her mouth.

He was happy to have the fox so quiet for once, since he'd merely snicker once in a while and tell him that things would come to pass sooner or later and he'd tell him after something exciting happened the reason why it happened. He'd never thought, for a moment, that he'd be happy and slightly sad at the fact that Kyuubi was so quiet. He liked it, but it was strange to not have someone to constantly talk to, since Kyuubi remained consistently silent whenever he tried to bring up a question.

Blinking his eyes slowly, he stretched a bit. He wondered when the insults would start coming, unless Kagome wasn't up yet, and then glanced around. He looked over it until the sun gleamed off it, and then he turned his eyes toward the weapon sticking out of the opposite wall. Blinking a few times, he squinted his eyes in order to make sure he was actually seeing what he thought he was. Then, Naruto's eyes widened and his mouth fell open.  _That's a kunai!_  He stilled, knowing that he hadn't thrown it there unless he was suddenly doing sleep missions or something, or he'd forgotten about something from the night before.

Standing quite suddenly, and hearing his stomach growl, Naruto looked around the room. His eyes shifted left and right, widening with each moment that he didn't find what he was looking for, and then he opened his mouth to scream. " _WHERE IS SHE_!" he shouted, and knew he'd probably startled half the people within Hokage Tower. Still, he'd lost a possibly dangerous person. Tsunade was going to have his hide for this!

Eyes darting back and forth, Naruto nodded his head, and then rushed out of the room, leaving it unoccupied. He hadn't thought that it might be good to grab the kunai and take it with him, thus allowing it to remain in the wall, shining in the light of the sun that came through the curtains and filled the room with light. A single deadly weapon that showed just how lucky a man had been while staying in a room with a woman who could be and was dangerous. Naruto, though, did not know that, and decided it was unimportant.


	8. Seven

"I can't believe you did that!" he huffed, crossing his arms slightly.

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye and scowled. "Gaara-sama accompanied me. I apologize, if I so must, that I did not tell you that I was going with an obviously more important individual to a place that I wished to go to before the sun was extremely high in the sky."

Tsunade blinked, her lips thinning out as she watched their interaction. This was not what she'd expected from the shining, always bright Uzumaki Naruto, who'd usually smile at the smallest thing. True, he'd grown up since his last big mission with his old genin squad, especially since the death of his loved one, but she'd never seen him frown so often. And it was all directed at this new addition they were housing, for he'd smiled brightly at her earlier when she'd told him he would not be held accountable if she'd merely left the village. Then, she comes to find out that the girl had slipped out unnoticed and then the Kazekage had taken her out without telling or awaking Naruto. Something was just not right in that picture.

Gaara stood silently off to the side, not paying much attention to what was happening. He knew that once this was over Tsunade was going to ask him of her fighting style, but she hadn't seemed to want to show off her more advanced Taijutsu, and she hadn't even tried to use Ninjutsu or Genjutsu while he'd watched her go through a simply routine. Perhaps she was hiding her true power, or perhaps she simply did not want to show off everything she knew to strangers. He did not know and he did not care, he was still wondering exactly what she was obsessed with. It was an interesting mystery that he was determined to solve—that, and the reason why she did not like Naruto.

Naruto allowed his hand to fist, and scowled. "Fine, but why don't you explain the reason why there's a kunai sticking out of the wall in your room!" he said, turning to look into her eyes. She blinked at him, and he wondered what exactly her answer was going to be.

"I put it there," she replied.

"Huh?" Naruto asked, confused.

"I put it there," she said again. "I'm not going to lie to you. I took it from you because I was determining whether I should kill you in order to silence your snoring. By the fact that you did not wake, proves to me just how aware of your surroundings you really are. However, I decided that it would not do me any good to slit your throat, so I threw it into the wall and decided to go to the roof since I could not sleep."

The sound of laughter began to enter her mind, and she growled at the voice in frustration as it came into her head once more. " _Strange, but I believe lying when you say you're not going to lie is still lying, little girl._ "

 _Shut up, I know what I'm doing_ , she hissed.

Gaara's eyes narrowed, sensing somehow that she was not giving the entire truth. He wondered if Tsunade or Naruto would catch it, but the horror of her words apparently had struck a nerve inside of them that stopped them from telling whether she was telling the whole truth. He silently took note that they were simply staring at her, though the expressions on their faces were much different from each other. Tsunade seemed to be making a great decision, and Naruto was still trying to grasp the fact that he could have died.

"You were going to…" Naruto stopped, turning his eyes to see the Hokage's reaction. Tsunade was blinking in surprise, and he could have sworn he saw a hint of fear in her eyes, before they hardened. His heart beat a bit faster, and he heard Kyuubi's growling in the back of his mind, though the fox did not say anything. She'd outright said she would have killed him, but she hadn't.

Tsunade's lips thinned further, her eyes turning to the woman standing before her waiting to be judged. "From now on, Naruto, you shall sleep outside of her room and there will be an ANBU posted outside of her window," she nodded at her decision. "Though I am happy to know you're not lying, I am not pleased to find you would have killed a shinobi of this village so easily. This is only proving to me that you're a danger to others, and I will have to determine from your actions from now on if you'll be given back your weapons, perhaps even exiled from Konohagakure if that is the need."

Kagome shrugged, "It is not my fault I'd rather sleep than listen to the annoying sounds that come from his mouth. Besides, reason is on my side, for I realized that I'd have Konohagakure chasing me for the rest of my days as a criminal." She nodded to herself, before smiling at the Hokage. Her voice changed to her polite tone, and she turned so that she was sideways, in order to take less time getting to the door. "Now, if you'll excuse me, Hokage-sama, I do wish to return to the training grounds, since I believe I'd rather enjoy letting off some steam at this point and time."

Tsunade nodded. "You may go."

"I was not asking for permission," Kagome said, her lip twitching a little. She turned, and quickly pushed the door open in order to leave. She knew that Naruto would be following her soon enough, so she felt the need to leave as quickly as she could. Then she'd make sure to use up some chakra in order to return to the training grounds quick enough that she could go through a more advanced routine before his chakra signal came close enough that she'd sense him.

Naruto, looking at the door, quickly turned to the Hokage, his hands slamming down onto the surface. "She almost killed me!" he shouted into her face, his eyes wide.

Tsunade closed her eyes, feeling the need to begin rubbing at her temples. "I am well aware of that at the moment, Naruto. Now, please, return to her room and make sure to take back your weapon. I don't want her to have another one, there's no telling what type of jutsu she uses and whether it requires them or not." She sighed, and then opened her eyes to look into Naruto's, noticing that the man looked shaken from the knowledge that he could be dead at that moment. "I also want you to be more alert from now on, and have someone, anyone, help you watch over her. Make sure she doesn't know about them, too. Make it seem like they're simply talking to you or something, because I don't want her to know about this. Do you understand, Naruto?"

Naruto nodded, his smile returning. "Yeah, I'll go find someone right now!"

"There's no need, Naruto," Tsunade stopped him. "Nara Shikamaru should be here in Hokage Tower. I'll have someone find him. For now, you follow her, and watch her. No more slacking off, Naruto."

He nodded again, and then went to the window. Turning back to her, he brought his hand up and readjusted his headband. "Don't worry, Tsunade-baa-chan, I won't do that anymore! Believe it!" he said, and then opened the window, and jumped out, intent on returning to her room before heading out. He wasn't going to take the chance of forgetting about it and allowing her to try killing him again.

Tsunade turned her attention to the silent Kazekage, and allowed her expression to soften. "Did you see the way he changed so rapidly?" she asked, taking note that the young man was staring out the window Naruto had gone through. She saw him nod, and took that as her answer. "It's strange. He was so happy and bright when I told him he wouldn't be held responsible for anything she did, since she could have used a paralysis jutsu or used something in order to make sure he stayed asleep. Then, as soon as she entered the room, he became closed off, like he hated her for some reason." Placing her forehead onto her hands, she looked at him completely, asking, "Do you think I should have someone else watch her, instead of Naruto?"

Gaara crossed his arms and leaned slightly on the wall. "No. Not unless Naruto proves to be completely useless when it comes to this mission," he replied, not taking a glance at her. He stared at the wall, not caring for the conversation, since he'd been wondering the same thing. However, should Naruto not sleep within the same room, he doubted she'd try to kill him again, especially not with an ANBU outside her window. He'd need to gather more information before he'd truly be able to help the Hokage decide whether to appoint a shinobi who would pay more attention to their mission then anything else. Naruto was a good shinobi, but he needed to pay more attention to his surroundings.

Deciding that was good enough, Tsunade turned her attention toward the door, and shouted, "Shizune!"

* * *

It had not taken long to find the same spot she'd used earlier, though she hadn't gotten the chance to spar against the Kazekage before an ANBU had found them, saying that she was to return to Hokage Tower immediately. She blinked a few times, staring forward through the trees, easily seen to the two men sparring there in case they wished to think she was spying on them, deciding whether it was alright to go onto the grounds while they were using them. She saw nothing against it, but they may instantly know she was not apart of the village, and try to kill or capture her, since she was positive it would take a while for that idiot to catch up to her. She hated to admit it, but at that moment he may be the only one who'd be able to tell them why she was there.

 

The two stopped, and finally the one she'd sworn she'd seen before turned toward her. Her eyes returned to their guarded state, while she merely stared at them, bringing her arms up to cross over each other. If they chose to come at her, then she would make sure to either surprise them, or return to Hokage Tower as quickly as she could. She did not wish to have another penalty against her, the Hokage deciding that she'd be shackled down in some dirty old cell where she would never be able to get what she wanted. They'd probably make sure to shackle her hands far enough away from each other that she wouldn't be able to perform a jutsu, which meant she wouldn't be able to kill them, or spill their blood on the ground.

"You don't have to stay within the forest if you wish to use the grounds," the man said. Kagome narrowed her eyes, wondering for a moment if it was a trick, until the voice in her head mocked the fact that she seemed afraid of the two shinobi. Huffing in annoyance, she made sure to give them a pleasant face, trying to make herself seem less threatening. No doubt they'd report anything to the female Hokage if they felt she was a danger to them.

"I apologize if I am interrupting your spar," she said, tilting her head further to the right. Her hair fell with gravity, while her lips were brought up into a smile, but she held no doubt that her eyes gave her away. She was positive they were highly guarded at this point, especially when she felt the need to suddenly rip these two shinobi to pieces as an image flashed behind her eyes.

"And you are?" the other asked.

She frowned, but did not hesitate to answer, "Kagome."

He gave a curt nod, and then returned his weapons to their original pockets. However, he turned to the other, his intense eyes glaring at him for a moment. "Do you know this girl so well that you suddenly wished to stop, Uchiha?" he mocked.

The Uchiha scowled, "Shut up, Hyuuga. I simply remembered her being with Naruto, something about a mission, and I wanted to know where he was."

"Probably still whining," Kagome muttered quietly. She brought her hand up, and made sure that her voice was loud enough for them to hear. "May I ask who you are?" she asked.

"Uchiha Sasuke," the first replied.

The second blinked for a moment, his intense eyes staring into her own. "Hyuuga Neji," he said. The Hyuuga narrowed his eyes a bit when he noticed the way she was standing, almost like she was ready to suddenly pounce on them. However, she turned her feet, and he bet that it was because she'd noticed his stare. He didn't care who she was, she'd ruined his spar with the Uchiha, and he'd been winning. He'd been proving that the Hyuuga Clan was mightier than the Uchiha Clan, and then she'd come out of the forest.

"Ah, are you related to Hinata-san?" she asked. Her smile returned a little, only enough to try and make him think differently. She had a feeling he was sizing her up, and her hand twitched to wrap around his throat, instead of simply standing there conversing with them.

" _Blood._ "

She growled, and shoved the voice away.

"How do you know Hinata-sama?" he asked, his eyes narrowing further.

She blinked, but then smiled at him again. "Because, Hyuuga-san, Temari brought Hinata-san to my room in Hokage Tower," she said. Her voice was light, for she made sure to stomp out the dark undertone that would surely give her away. These two seemed to be highly trained, which made them higher risk than that foolish Naruto.

Neji turned his nose up a little, and scowled at her. "You're the woman who was brought here covered in blood?" he asked, casting his eyes down her again for weapons. His almost wished to use his Byakugan in order to check her chakra level, just in case, but did not wish to show it to a potential threat. "The woman that Hinata-sama spoke of? Stating that you were rather polite, but did not have a strong liking for Naruto."

"Yes, that would be I," she nodded.

Sasuke smirked. "So, you don't like the dobe already, huh? That's not surprising. Have you seen him eat?"

"No, and I would rather not stay in the same room as him any longer," she brought her hand up, and seemed to check her nails. "He snores rather loudly, making it difficult for another to sleep when they wish to." Bringing one of her nails up and slowly dragging it underneath another to try and remove the dirt, she continued, "He is lucky he is still alive. He should learn to pay more attention to his surroundings, or perhaps not fall asleep in a room with a person who could be a threat to him."

"What's that mean?" Sasuke asked, his eyes narrowing.

"Exactly what I said, Uchiha-san," she replied, bringing her eyes up to lock with his. She did not expect him to smirk, though, tilting his head to smirk at the Hyuuga behind him, though the other did not seem bothered by it.

"I knew the dobe couldn't pull something like this off," Sasuke shook his head. "It figures that he's already got you to the point that you wish to kill him. You'll get used to him after a while, though."

"Wish," she spat. "Wishing has nothing to do with it, Uchiha-san. If I did not have a sense of honor, I would have killed him, plain and simple. Then his vigorous snoring would no longer fill the night air whenever he is near."

They stiffened, and watched as she dropped her hand. She shook her head, and then her hand clenched, as she brought it back up. Her eyes turned toward them, and both narrowed their eyes, wondering what was going on inside her head. However, as she took a step forward, a blur came out of the forest and she was suddenly lying on the ground unconscious.

"Did she hurt you?" the wincing man asked. He seemed to be a little jumpy by something, though they weren't sure exactly why.

Then, Nara Shikamaru dropped down from the branch of a tree, crossed his arms and knelt down beside Kagome. Shaking his head, he sighed, stating, "This is such a drag." He then tilted his head to the side and allowed his hands to fall to his sides as he checked her pulse. "Naruto, our mission was to watch her, not knock her out simply because you think she's suddenly going to attack something."

Naruto flinched. "I saw her hands move! She was going to use a jutsu, I know it!"

"Now we have to carry her back to Hokage Tower," Shikamaru continued, his eyelids dropping. "How troublesome…"

Neji blinked. "Why did you knock her unconscious?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head, and stared down at her. "Because, she tried to kill me last night, and I'm not taking anymore chances. If she makes another wrong more, I'm going to use Rasengan on her!"

"You know nothing of her own jutsu, Naruto," Shikamaru tried to reason with him, knowing that it was probably useless. "She might have something that could counteract your own, or she might be able to remove herself from your path before you can even use something against her. It's foolish to go into battle without knowing at least something about your opponent."

"I don't care, I'm not taking another chances," Naruto huffed, crossing his arms. "There's no way I'm going to let her try and kill me again… though, it was kind of strange, that kunai."

"What's strange about a kunai, dobe?" Sasuke asked.

"Well, she said she stole it from  _me_ , but I had all the weapons I usually do on me when I went to go get it," Naruto blinked. "Do you think it wasn't mine?"

Neji sighed, "The only logical explanation was she lied to you and the weapon was stolen from someone else. Or perhaps she'd had one hidden somewhere, and it wasn't detected."

Naruto thought about it and then nodded. Reaching down, he grabbed her by the arm and hauled her up, not caring for her comfort. "Yeah, you're probably right. I'll have Tsunade-baa-chan check her over again, and make sure that all her weapons have been taken. I don't want to wake up one morning to find that I'd failed and allowed her to kill everyone in their sleep!"

"There are jounin and ANBU posted to keep the village safe at night," Shikamaru muttered.

Naruto turned, and then waved at Sasuke and Neji. "Well, I gotta get her back to Hokage Tower. Who knows how pissed she'll be when she gets back up." Seeing them simply blink at him, he looked at Shikamaru, and said, "Come on, Shikamaru!" He raced off, hauling the woman along with him while he held her up onto his shoulder.

Shikamaru sighed, "What a drag."

* * *

Tsunade's eyebrow twitched as she looked down at the woman Naruto had shoved into the chair in front of her desk. "So, you knocked her unconscious simply because you thought she was going to use a jutsu?"

 

"Yes," Naruto nodded, grinning. "Personally, I think you should be thanking me, Tsunade-baa-chan. I mean, I might have saved both Sasuke-teme and Neji's lives!"

"Or you might have just angered a woman far more than you should have," Tsunade shook her head. Gripping the bottle of sake she'd hid away just for one of these occasions, she slammed it onto the desk, and then glared at Naruto. "If you really want me to, then I'll look her over once more, but in order for me to do that, you have to leave."

Naruto scowled, "Don't try to drink instead of doing it, Tsunade-baa-chan."

Tsunade huffed, and then tightened her grip on the bottle. "Anything to get me out of paperwork," she sighed. "I've had to deal with it for the last five days straight. I've barely had any sleep and you're very annoying at this moment, Naruto. So, if you don't leave, I AM GOING TO HURT YOU!"

Naruto jumped and nodded, before rushing out the door as quickly as he could.

Tsunade sighed, and then went to open her sake bottle. Once she'd managed to do so, she lifted it up and gulped down a couple shallows. After doing so, she went to pull herself out of her chair, the bottle held limply in her hand as she went to stand beside the strange woman inside her village. She wondered for a moment what she was going to do with her, but then shook her head, lifting her sake bottle once more in order to take another shallow. Then, she jumped when a hand grabbed onto her clothing, and she looked down to find a pair of blue eyes glaring up at her.

"Where is he?" she hissed.

"N-Naruto?" Tsunade asked, wondering why she was stuttering suddenly.

"Yes," Kagome growled. "That idiot put me into a state of unconsciousness when I did nothing wrong. I was speaking with Uchiha-san and Neji-san, and I had planned to ask them if I could spar with them, and then he comes out of nowhere. I wish to pay him back."

Tsunade stiffened, "I can't allow you to do that."

She scowled, and then lifted her lip in order to show off her teeth. "Very well, Hokage-sama, I shall not hurt your precious shinobi," she said, "but I will not tolerate him knocking me unconscious again. Do you understand, Hokage-sama?"

Tsunade, stiffening further, nodding in understanding. She wondered why she'd just done so, but then the door opened and the Kazekage stepped into the room. She felt Kagome's hand slip from her clothing, and her eyes softened enough that they weren't glaring at her. She turned away from her, and Tsunade relaxed enough to show the glaring man that she had not been hurt.

"Ah, Gaara-sama, what a pleasant surprise," Kagome smiled.

Gaara narrowed his eyes. "What happened?"

"Naruto was an idiot, and I was telling Hokage-sama that I will not tolerate his stupidity to that point any further," Kagome stood. She continued to smile, and moved so that she was standing beside him, her head cranked back so that she could see him. "Nothing more and nothing less. Now, if you don't mind, I feel the need to fall into bed after I was so rudely hit from behind not long ago."

Gaara watched her leave, and then turned back to Tsunade to find that the Hokage had brought her sake bottle to her lips and was draining the entire thing. He wondered if the alcohol, the paperwork, or old age would kill her first, before shaking his head and deciding he'd be the one to watch over the obsessed woman that night. It seemed Naruto was becoming too frightened for his own good, which was bad, considering the fact it gave his opponent the ability to scare him so easily that he'd stand frozen, instead of fighting back.


	9. Eight

She is limping, cursing at someone that she is sure she does not know. Quickly, her legs grow tired, and she falls to the ground, toppling trees while she pants in her spot. She hears the distance sounds of a village, and growls in displeasure, cursing the name she cannot fully understand again. She hates the fact that though she is powerful, there are others more powerful than she. She is able to control things they cannot, and she is able to do things they cannot, yet she is weak. She is weak, and that angers her to the point that she feels the need to destroy something. She is not able to move, though, thus she cannot.

Resting her head against the ground, she continues to pant. Her body is growing weak and she wishes to simply lie there. She knows she must return to her safe havin, though. She knows she must return to her ancient tree and recover, but she does not think she has the strength to return. Once again she curses at another, knowing from the past that she should not have taken the challenge, but not caring. She has wanted to prove for so long that she is stronger, but the other trickster has managed to defeat her once again.

"There you are," a voice growls. She turns to see a blurry image, and knows that this is the one that defeated her. She knows, and thus she growls in response, but the voice continues. "You were foolish to think you could get away," they laugh, "In fact, you were foolish to think you could win." Her name is said, but she does not hear it, her power is growing weaker and weaker and she knows in that instant that she is dying.

She growls a name. The one she's cursed so many times, but still does not understand it.

"You haven't been punished enough, though. You're too cocky for you own good, and I believe it is time you were given a strong knock in the head." The voice laughs again, and she grows irritated by it. "So, I believe that you deserve a fate better than death. A fate that will keep you in this world."

"Damn you," she manages to say.

The voice chuckles. "Do not die on me yet," he says.

She pants, hearing the distant sound of the other leaving. However, she knows from the sounds that the other is moving toward the village ahead, and growls again in displeasure. Resting her head against the ground, she slams her tails against the trees behind her, almost wishing she could see. She almost wishes she could do anything, but she knows that her time is growing shorter. She knows that, but she allows her ears to perk up when she hears another sound. It sounded small, like something much smaller than her was walking over the ground before her, and she snarls in warning.

"So, he has kept his promise."

She snarls again at the new voice. She tries to lift her head, and finds that she has closed her eyes. She opens them, and finds that her blurry vision is slightly better, but not by much. She turns her eyes downward and narrows them at the person there. Trying to rise, she finds that her body is weaker than before, and takes a better measure by trying to snap at the person. However, she finds that she can barely open her jaws, and gives into the feelings that are beginning to surround her. Her breathing is growing weak, but she keeps her eyes trained on the person before her, a growl still moving through her chest.

The person narrows their own eyes, and she barely makes out as they begin to move their hands. She does not understand for a moment, as they say, "You cannot escape through death." The person laughs strongly, and she catches the insanity lying there. "I shall finally have what I want, and nothing will stand in the way of what is rightfully mine."

Her vision becomes hazier, and she once again snarls when a new feeling surrounds her. She does not understand it; she knows that she is more powerful than the small person in front of her. She knows that she should be able to destroy anything that they send at her, even when she is beginning to die yet she cannot. She feels the new feeling tingle down to her claws, and she once again growls at it. Then, she feels something she does know, something that she knows even she can use, though it is much different than what is surrounding her now.  _Chakra_.

Trying to break free of the feeling, she tries to roll away, for her instinct scream for her to move. They scream that she cannot give in, that she is not this weak and she should not give in so easily. But she finds that the strange feeling has already completely surrounded her, and then she finds that her vision goes black. She screams, for she feels as if she is falling. She curses the name she does not understand again, cursing them for what is happening to her, for she finally understands. She understands that a jutsu has been cast upon her, but she does to understand what kind.

The sound of wailing fills her ears, and the feeling of death rushes away, but she cannot stand the new sounds. She tries to shake her head, trying to make the sound go away. She does not know how long it took for the blackness to fade, but she finds herself staring through strange bars. Her eyes begin to focus and she finally looks down upon a strange pup wailing just outside the bars. Her natural response, what she knows she has done many times before, is to kill the young one, and she tries to stop the wailing. However, she finds that she is confined behind the bars, for they will not move, and she snarls again. She feels the need to kill growing, something that she has grown accustomed to throughout the years of her growth, before she met the one who defeated her. Her claws hit the metal of the bars, and she finds at that instant that she can barely move.

Angered, she rears her head back, and howls. The answering call of the pup's wail fills her ears, and she turns her head down, to find that the pup is staring up at her. Growling, she once again feels the need to kill the young one, but finds that she cannot. Then, she blinks and is surprised to watch as the pup's face morphs, before her own chakra is drawn from her, and settles around the pup, doing something that she cannot see.

Then, she laughs. A bitter laugh that fills the strange new place that she has found herself within, and she knows what has happened to her. Deep inside, she curses again the name she does not understand, and she promises their death, along with the death of many. She promises it, and she knows that she will be able to do so in due time.

And in some strange way, she is happy is she not dead, but angered that she has found herself in a position she promised to never find herself within.

* * *

She sat up panting, a hand coming up to clutch at her hair once more. For a moment, she wondered why the dream was so different from others she's had before, but then shook her head. It didn't matter, but the feeling that hit her upon awakening did. Lifting her top lip in anger, she turned her head, and nearly jumped to the other side of her bed, surprised. Opening her mouth, she gasped. "G-Gaara-sama!" she said.

He simply stared at her.

Sighing a bit, she blinked a few times. Turning her head, she asked, "What are you doing in my room, Gaara-sama?"

"Why did you mutter of chakra in your sleep?" he countered.

"I did?" she asked.

He nodded. His eyes took in the sweat that had formed on her forehead, and the fact that she seemed quite shocked to see him. However, he'd noticed that she had begun to sweat long before she'd awoke, growling and snarling in her sleep. Then, almost as soon as she'd sat up, she'd snarled about betrayal and promised death to something or someone. He wondered again if she was a vessel to some demon, for it had been strange to watch as black markings flickered on the flesh of her face. She'd tossed and turned, and he'd thought he'd saw chakra fill the air, before the flickering happened and then she'd grown silent, her face returning to normal. After that she'd simply muttered and snarled, making him wonder more than he was used to. The damn woman was making him far to curious for his own good.

"Perhaps it was because of my dream," she said. "It was strange, like I was someone else." She stopped, and then scowled. "However, I do not think it has any meaning, since dreams are only dreams, nothing more."

A voice chuckled in her head. She nearly snarled, but her eyes caught sight of Gaara, and knew that would not be a good idea at the moment. " _Dreams are not always thus. I have found that sometimes your dreams have meaning._ "

 _What are you talking about?_  She saw that Gaara was once again giving her a strange glare, like he was trying to see through her. She simply moved her eyes so that she was staring at a nearby wall, and listened to the sounds that entered the room. Gaara was completely silent, so it wasn't hard to hear the idiot snoring in the hall. She wondered if he'd hate her if she went out and actually stole one of his weapons in order to kill him.

" _Perhaps someday I'll tell you,_ " the voice replied.

She growled at it.  _If you do not wish to tell me anything useful, then get out of my head._

" _I'm afraid I can't do that, little girl. You're stuck with me_ ," the voice said. It was strange to hear it say something as quiet as that, almost like it was thinking over something. She wondered what it could be, but then decided that she didn't care. It was only someone or something trying to fuck with her, not something that she needed to care about. She cared for nothing, not even a voice that had been with her all her life, always wanting her to take the lives of others.

 _Not when I kill you_.

The voice laughed then, it's normal volume returning. " _I'd like to see you try, little girl. I'd really like to see you try_."

She snorted.

" _Especially when you've been trying to do that for so many years now. You haven't been able to do so yet, what gives you the idea that you will be able to later on?_ " the voice stopped. " _Better pay attention, stupid girl. It's not good to become so distracted._ "

"Woman," he said, again.

She turned her head. "Forgive me, Gaara-sama. Was there something you wanted or said?"

"You're strange," he replied.

"I believe I have been told that by others," she frowned. "I care not, though."

Turning her head, she gave him a small glance from the corner of her eye, and asked her original question again. "Why are you in my room, anyway, Gaara-sama?" She watched him closely, remembering the power he had over the sand he carried with him, and mentally prepared herself for an assault. She did not know what he could do, but she would not die without fighting.

" _Such a good little girl you can be,_ " the voice laughed.

She snorted.

" _Not wishing to die is very good,_ " it continued. " _For if you die, I die. Such a tragedy that would be, too._ "

 _You'll die when I kill you_. She mentally pushed the voice away again, listening to its laughter. She had grown accustomed to it, but she'd never known it to be a talker. Normally it only wanted something from her, but it never wished to carry on a conversation. Why it did after so much time, she was not sure, and it was beginning to become annoying. Soon, soon she'd be rid of it, for she'd kill the person who was trying to mess with her head. She'd come to the conclusion that it was some outside force playing with her, and she hated the fact that they'd gotten past her defenses so easily. She hated them, and she would kill them.

Her eyes hardened a bit, while the image of blood flashed behind her eyes. She forcefully pushed it away, and then turned her attention to the man standing in her room, obviously waiting for her to give him her attention. She wasn't sure why, but she had asked a question, so perhaps he was going to answer it. Turning her head, she waited.

"Someone needs to watch you," Gaara stated.

"I thought that was what the ANBU posted outside my window was for," she replied, her words sounding more like a statement than a question. "Or perhaps you're worried for your little friend outside this room." Catching his eyes with her own, she said, "I will not harm him as long as he does not enter this room. I give you my word."

"The word of someone just met means nothing," Gaara said.

"Not if that person were trustworthy," Kagome said, blinking. She was surprised that she wasn't having thoughts of killing the man. Usually she would after so much time around another, but it seemed that there was a certain case that was different. This man was strange, but she saw something in his eyes that reminded her of when she glanced into the mirror. Something that she saw in her own, and she silently wanted to know what it was that made them similar, if even in a subtle way.

"One does not know if that person is trustworthy unless they have a reason to trust them," Gaara scowled. "I have no reason to trust you. No one in this village has a reason to trust you, thus no one shall."

"Yet," she replied. "Yet, for I will prove I can be trusted. You may not believe me, but you will in time."

His eyes narrowed, "If you're given time."

"Was that a threat?" she asked, her own narrowing in response to the challenge.

"Perhaps," he muttered.

"Then perhaps I shall take it," she growled. She waited for him to respond, but quickly realized that he'd turned his head away, and refused to. Scowling at him, she allowed herself to lie back, and turned so that she was facing away from him. Placing her arm underneath her head, she grabbed the red strand of hair she had with her free hand. Closing her eyes, she decided for that night he was not a threat to her, especially if he'd been standing there for so long and had yet to attack her.

Gaara watched her, and having done the same thing so many times, knew when she'd drifted back to sleep. "Perhaps," he said again. He was content where he was at the moment, but he glanced around the room. His eyes fell onto the small nightstand next to her bed, and decided it was time to hunt. Hunt for items that she should not have, since it was quite obvious she was very good at stealing them from others.

* * *

Her eyes shut tightly, and she glanced around again at all the people surrounding her. The voice was laughing again, the noise louder with each passing second, and she was beginning to wonder just how much longer she could put up with it. She was beginning to crack; she knew that—she wouldn't be able to push away her desires for much longer. She did not know why, usually being around other people caused her to become rational enough that she didn't need to feed her need for quite some time, but something was wrong. She wondered if it had to do with the others the voice spoke of, when she knew the names of the ones the voice pinpointed them as.

For a moment she wondered if it had to do with being this vessel, it spoke of. She knew olds tales of Houkou, Kaku, Nekomata, and Sokou, the demons that had apparently once roamed close to where she'd once lived. She knew from the elders of her Clan, even when they'd spoken so disdainfully of her when they thought she was no longer within hearing range. She did not know of the ones called Shukaku or Kyuubi, thus she did not know if they were the same. She was not sure, she did not know, and it was grating on her, forcing her need to become stronger still.

" _Weak girl_ ," the voice mocked.

 _Go away_ , she snapped, her voice filled with anger. She knew that it was somewhat the reason for why she suddenly wished to kill the others around her. All her life it had been trying to make her do so, and it brought forth the dream she had had. She couldn't put the pieces together, though, and she wasn't sure if it was more than simply a dream. It had to be simply a dream created by her subconscious, even when it had felt so real. Dreams didn't mean anything, she'd always been told that, but she'd always been lied to. What was the chance of that blasted man who'd once called himself her father not lying to her about that? She didn't know, and she really didn't care anymore, for he was dead, and she was glad he was.

Turning her head, she glared at the person following her. She almost wished that she hadn't come outside today, since then she would have been able to deal with her need in silence, but she had. Rushing back to Hokage Tower would not look good, especially when she was sure she was giving off angry vibes, not to mention anything else she was giving off. However, she felt another strong wave of need rush over her while she stared at Naruto, and narrowed her eyes. She had a strong feeling that he was the reason she felt the way she did. She had a very strong feeling that if she killed him the need would go away.

 _Blood,_  she whimpered.  _Blood._

She didn't understand, she was strong—no matter what that stupid voice said, she was strong. She was strong enough to have pushed away the need she felt for death and blood for so many years, even when it became stronger as she grew. She'd managed to keep herself under control, yet she could feel that control breaking to pieces. She felt it slipping through her hands, even when she tried so hard to keep a hold of it. She felt the need for the death of others; she did not feel the need for her own. She was not the type to shudder at the sight of blood, but her opponents had rarely ever struck her, so she did not enjoy the idea of bleeding. She should be strong enough to make the need go away, but it just continued to press again her instincts, causing her to whimper again.

Casting another glance over her shoulder, her eyes widened in surprise when she saw Naruto was no longer paying her any attention. Silently, she laughed at the naïve man, the one who didn't know what a threat she could be. She let out a small chuckle, feeling the need to see the blood of her opponents spilled on the ground increasing. She gritted her teeth together slightly, and then shook her head a bit to try and once again shake it away. However, unlike so many times before, the need did not fade, but grew stronger again.

Giving a small cry, she brought her hand up and grabbed at her hair as a last resource, something she had done many times. However, even the familiar action did not make the need go away, it did not clear her head enough, and she felt her head pound from the inside. Tugging sharply at her hair, she cast another glance over at Naruto, and saw that he was still talking with his current companion. A small wicked grin formed on her lips, and she lowered her eyes so that they were covered by her bangs.

Stepping backwards quickly, she knew that no one was really paying much attention to her. Even if they were, they were mostly only villagers; they would not know what to do about her. Taking another step, Kagome stepped deep into the shadows of the building, and decided. If Naruto was going to be an idiot, then she was going to leave this ridiculous village for a short time to fill the need pumping through her veins. She was going to find someone, anyone, and if they weren't apart of Konohagakure, she was going to kill them. She was going to, and she'd make sure that their blood was spilled all along the forest floor. She would, and they would never see it coming.

* * *

He stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as he looked over at Naruto. He should have known that idiot was going to screw up and the woman he was watching was going to do something she wasn't supposed to. He could already feel her chakra signal fading away, and knew that if he didn't follow her, she was going to leave. He was positive that Tsunade wanted her to be watched, and the dobe couldn't do it, he would. First, though, it was always good to have backup, and knowing Naruto wasn't the best choice, he decided he'd find someone more suitable along the way. Someone that had been also been watching her.

Sasuke nodded, rushing forward. He easily moved to the top of the buildings, and saw that she was trailing east, and would most likely go over the wall. Frowning, he wondered what she was doing, but suddenly decided he didn't want to know. He could feel the bloodlust in the air, and it pressed down upon him so strongly that he was sure it had sent a shiver down many spines. Moving forward, he made sure to look down whenever he crossed a pathway.

Knowing it was quite some ways away; he turned his eyes forward to watch her. However, after a moment, he looked back down, and got lucky. A small smirk formed onto his lips, and he dropped down from the rooftops, landing on the ground in front of the one he'd been looking for. Bringing his head up, he stood in front of the other man, watching as his aqua eyes narrowed in question.

"We've got a problem," Sasuke said.

Gaara blinked. "Your problems are not mine, Uchiha."

"That woman that Naruto was supposed to watch," Sasuke continued, seeing that he'd caught Gaara's attention, "she's headed toward the wall. I think she's going to leave Konohagakure."

"Where is Naruto?" Gaara asked, his voice tightening.

"That dobe?" Sasuke shook his head. "He was talking with Kakashi when she moved." His frown deepened, "I could feel the bloodlust in the air, I think she's going to kill someone."

Sasuke blinked, and noticed that Gaara had already moved. Shaking his head, he went to follow the Kazekage. He had gotten lucky to find him, since he had been hoping to find him, but he wondered if that was the right thing to do. He probably should have watched her himself, and if she did anything that would prove harmful to the village, he should have killed her and reported the death. Knowing that he should have thought about that sooner, Sasuke moved forward.

He wasn't even sure why he was following her. He should have knocked Naruto upside the head and told him to go after her. Frowning at himself for thinking too much, he leapt from one rooftop to another, wondering how long it would take to catch up with that woman. Kagome, he remembered her telling them. A woman that was obviously dangerous, and cunning, and had an obvious dislike for his friend. A woman that needed to be watched, but not by his easily distracted friend.


	10. Nine

The forest swarmed around her, as she easily moved past the defenses that had been posted around Konohagakure. Her mind was set onto one thing, stopping her from taking even a moment to perhaps look at her surroundings, or check for possible danger. She wanted something, and she would have it. Not because she had been pushed to try and obtain it by a very annoying voice, but because she had been pushed to the point that she wanted it. She needed it, and thus she would have it. No one, even if they were the most skilled shinobi, was going to stop her.

Her footing never faltered, not as she past many spooked animals, nor when she flew around a figure that could have ended up being her victim. She ignored them, though, in favor of continuing on. The further away from that damn village she was, the more likely chance she had of killing someone without interruption. She was not stupid, she knew that any of them, should they hear the screams of death, would come running in order to investigate. Those nosy shinobi would also end up dead, and then she would find herself in a situation she did not wish to have herself within at that moment. She was not fond of the idea of being chased everywhere for the rest of her life simply because they could not keep their nose out of something that did not concern them. Not that that wasn't a pleasing thought, so many people to kill.

A snicker rose in her throat, her vision becoming sharper, as she was used to it doing after so many years. The laughing inside her head increased, but she convinced herself she was going this for herself, not because it wished for her to. She'd always done it for herself, for she needed, not anything else. That was why she trusted only one thing, and one thing only. Herself. She could never find it within her ability to trust, love, or cherish anything that did not have to do with herself. Once she had been told she was far too self-centered, but she cared not for the words of pitiful beings and she had killed them, washing their blood over her flesh as she delighted in being true to herself. Delighted to show that she was willing to put another in their place when they stepped out of turn, thus showing that she was the top shinobi.

Besides, no one had ever cared. Her Clan had written it off as another poor soul to simply vanish whenever she'd killed. One by one she'd taken them out, for sometimes they would try to treat her with respect, being the daughter to their head, but other times they would simply glare at her. They had known, truly known, that she was the one to cause such a thing to happen, but they had kept their mouths shut. Even those related to the person found dead or simply missing, as they'd said, would say nothing, but deep down she knew that they knew if they said anything she would have snapped sooner. She would have killed them long before she did, but she was happy she'd gotten such a long time to prepare for it. It simply meant their fear become so great she could taste it, and they paniced when they finally learned she was going to do it at last.

Quickly, she spun on her foot, her body easily maneuvering around the large tree in her path. Without a sound, she pushed off the ground, and found herself in the branch of the next tree, crouching low. Her body was pushed forward, her feet landing onto another branch not far off as chakra was channeled into her feet, effectively keeping her balanced and attached to where she landed for brief moments in time. Her eyes shifted, her senses searching, and a grin tilted her lips when she found something familiar off in the distance. Just far enough that the screams would not be heard, and just in case they may be, she had ways of keeping them muffled. Afterward, she would simply leave the area, find some place to wash, and return to Hokage Tower as if nothing had happened.

That fool Naruto would never know the difference.

" _Good girl,_ " she heard, " _but move faster._ "

Her eyes narrowed to mere slits.  _Do not tell me what to do._

A chuckle was her first response, before she felt like she was being stared at by large black eyes. She blinked it away, and the voice quickly returned. " _If you do not do it, then I will be forced to do it for you_ ," it snarled. " _You will go faster_."

A strange prickling sensation erupted underneath her skin, and she shivered from the power rushing into her system. She instantly grabbed hold of it like a starved individual who'd had a ripe piece of fruit placed in front of them. The power, which she had a feeling she had felt before, quickly increased her own, and she laughed menacingly from just the feeling it created. Her speed tripled, her feet moving much faster then before, until her eyes caught sight of her prey. The strange power continued to ripple through her body, but she came to a complete stop without making a single sound, as she hid in the shadows of the forest.

Her eyes shot over each of them, counting nine all together. Then, her eyes caught sight of the headband wrapped around the arm of one, and a small smirk formed onto her lips.

"We move at the first sight of dawn."

Another smirked, his cocky attitude easily noted. "That bitch they chose as Hokage won't know what hit her," he laughed.

"Shut up," another said. "Our mission is to form an assassination, not go around signaling to others that we're here."

"Tch, not like anyone is actually this deep in the forest," the cocky one snapped.

"This forest could still have ears, though," the first growled. His sleeve shifted, showing off the kunai he had drawn, as he turned toward her positioning. "Isn't that right?" he said. His wrist moved, and the weapon snapped out of his hand, moving straight for her head.

She moved, quickly and silently. She barely made even a flutter on the forest floor, as she moved to the other side of the small clearing they had chosen to inhabit. The fallen leaves moved only the tiniest bit with the change in the wind she'd created, pushing her away from the approaching weapon. Her ears picked up the sound of it hitting the trunk of a tree not long afterward, but she knew that she had had plenty of time to escape that attack.

The cocky one glanced up, "What the hell are you doing? No one is out here."

"You're wrong," the first snarled, drawing another kunai. "There is someone. Someone who is obviously very skilled at keeping to the shadows—all we have to do is draw them out."

The others tensed, while another smirk formed onto her lips. Her hands moved together, beginning to make the signs that she wanted. It was quick as lightning, and then she made the final one, her eyes taking in each of their stances as they rose to their feet.

* * *

"How do you know she went this way?" Sasuke asked, his eyes closing further against the wind hitting them. It had increased not long ago, almost at a frightening level, but he was used to the wind picking up quickly. The frightening thing, though, was that it hadn't been blowing in their direction when they'd first entered the forest, but had hit them the instant a strange chakra had washed over them, before disappearing. He was positive it wasn't gone, but the person who possessed it had simply hidden it somehow.

"The sand," came Gaara's blunt answer.

 _Sand?_  Sasuke thought, turning his head toward his current companion. He knew of Gaara's ability to control the sand, but he also knew that it could have been diminished to a certain point when Shukaku was extracted from him. He knew from Naruto that Gaara had been revived from death, though the explanation had come out so quickly that he only knew half of the story. However, he wasn't sure exactly how Gaara could use the sand to follow another person, unless he had purposely planted it on the woman in case something like this happened.

Gaara glanced back toward the forest floor from the branch he landed upon, his eyes taking in the sand he'd sent to pursue her. It had followed her chakra signal quite a long distance, but it seemed she'd somehow managed to move faster. He felt the branch dip as Sasuke came to land beside him, and narrowed his eyes. He knew that he could still use the sand to track her in a similar fashion, but he knew that might take too long with how fast she'd suddenly moved. Though, that certainly didn't mean he didn't have a quicker way of finding her, since she hadn't even flinched each time his sand had examined her.

He leapt after the Kazekage when he finally moved again, and noticed the way his eyes flickered around the forest. Sasuke paused for only a small second when he felt chakra wash over his skin, and distantly heard the sound of metal flying through the air. It had taken years, but he knew the sound well enough to recognize it even from the distance. Since Gaara had picked up speed, continuing to travel in the direction he heard the weapons slicing through the air, even if only faintly. His footing never faltered afterward, but he felt that something was going to happen, and he was positive his instinct was correct.

As they came closer, they were able to make out her form standing at the edge of a clearing. Inside there were people, which caused Sasuke to silently pull out a kunai, not knowing if he would have to use it. However, as they neared, they slowed until they were some distance away, far enough that they wouldn't be detected, but able to see what was happening. Sasuke watched, as she seemed to lean to one side, taking in the people in front of her, before moving faster than the eye could see. He blinked in surprise, for nothing moved, a kunai embedded itself into the tree she had been standing in front of, and then she appeared silently on the other side of the clearing. They narrowed their eyes, and Sasuke went to take a step forward until Gaara's arm moved in front of his chest, stopping him from doing so.

Her hands moved quickly, making a sequence of hand signs that he wasn't familiar with. When she made the last one, she merely allowed her hands to fall to her sides, and watched the people in front of her. Sasuke scowled, and turned his attention to the Kazekage stopping him from helping the people that were obviously going to become her victims. It wasn't hard to still feel the bloodlust she was radiating, even when she'd masked her presence so well. How, he wasn't entirely sure, since usually a small trace of a person was still left behind, though it was hard to follow, impossible in certain conditions. Somehow, somehow she had made it so that she seemed to simply disappear, though.

Trying to take another step forward, his grip tightening on his weapon, he felt Gaara's hand grab ahold of his jounin vest. Stopping, he turned his scowl toward him, and noticed that he wasn't even looking at him. "What are you doing? She's going to kill them," he snapped.

"Look at the symbol on their headbands," Gaara replied. His eyes narrowed, his thoughts more on the shinobi she had obviously engaged in battle than the woman. His first question had to be why they were so close to Konohagakure, but his second was why no one had detected them so far.

Sasuke did so, his eyes squinting against the wind blowing toward them. Leaning forward a bit, his eyes not as sharp as the Kazekage's, he searched for the symbol as he had been told. His eyes widened when he finally caught sight of one, and he snarled. " _Iwagakure_  shinobi! What the hell are they doing here?" he asked, knowing he sounded much too like Naruto for his own good. He felt the urge to use the sharingan, but stopped himself before he did, shaking the feeling away.

Gaara shook his head, deciding the question didn't need an answer. There were a few reasons the enemy of Konohagakure would be so close to the village. He didn't like any of them. And, this was a perfect way to analyze the woman that had his mind turn. Something about her was familiar, something that he knew he should be able to figure out, but she hid herself so well that it was hard for him to do so. She was strange, yes, but she was an intriguing creature, as well. He felt that she was very similar to him in some way, but not how he was now. She was similar to him before Naruto had managed to help him escape the darkness that he had once been within. That made her interesting.

Her eyes were sharper than he remembered them being, and he noticed that the black markings he'd seen before, or thought he had seen, were beginning to appear onto her skin. They were like the rings around his own eyes, except they had a single point just to the outside of her eye. As they came into full view, he noticed that they extended away from the outside of her eye onto her cheeks, much like curved claws. Three all together; the highest one very thin, before it curved back in toward the eye, and right before touching extended back out into the thickest and longest one, before it too curved back in a ways, and then extended into the final one. A small black marking was underneath the final piece coming off the rings around her eyes, shaped much like a small frown. After the markings appeared completely, he watched as she blinked, and when her eyes opened again, they would have resembled the Hyuuga's eyes if they were black in color. The markings around her eyes were darker than the color her eyes had become, but they were very close in coloration, making it hard to tell where the eye ended and the markings began.

Gaara and Sasuke narrowed their eyes just a little further when they noticed the white looking substance coming off her skin. It resembled chakra in a way, but from the distance they could not be certain. The change that had occurred made them think that perhaps she had been hiding her true appearance with a Genjutsu that they hadn't noticed. An illusion would probably be the only way to hide those strange demon-like markings and black eyes. But that white substance looked like chakra far too much for it to be anything else, but not normal chakra, if there was any type of chakra that couldn't be considered  _normal_.

Her lip lifted into a very sinister smirk, what looked to be long canines slipping over her bottom lip as she shifted herself, easily kicking up the dead material on the forest floor, and then disappearing once again. Kunai and shuriken embedded the trees where she'd once stood, before she appeared in a tree just off to their left. For a moment the pair wondered why she was playing with her opponents, since it was obvious the Iwagakure shinobi were there for a reason and would kill anyone that got into their way of doing whatever they were there for. They were saying things to each other, but from the distance they couldn't pick up the words, as the strange woman finally dropped down from her perch.

The Iwagakure shinobi instantly turned toward her, but her hand lifted, and her chakra flared. Though they had lifted their hands in order to blast her with different jutsus, or impale her upon their weapons, they were frozen in place. A dark shadow moved from the woman's feet, spreading out into the forest and into the clearing the enemy had taken refuge within. The shadow moved until it became a large circle, kanji symbols glowing around the outside edges, and around the center where she stood. Not a moment after the circle formed, a wall shot up from the outside edges, forming a solid barrier around the area.

As soon as the barrier formed, Gaara moved closer, Sasuke right on his tail. Once close enough, they could see the wide smirk that had formed onto Kagome's face, as she said, "You were fools to be so easily caught within my Death Circle."

 _Death Circle_ , they thought. They had never heard of such a thing.

"You see," she continued. "In here, I get to decide how you die. I get to decide exactly how your blood spills upon the ground." She chuckled afterward, her hand coming up again. Her eyes seemed to glow through the barrier, and the markings around her eyes seemed to turn a bright red. As her hand came up, the white chakra they'd seen before once again leaked from her body, slicing into the ground as it spread out from her position. It formed what looked to be tails for a moment, but the figures faded away as it filled the circled completely.

"B-bitch," one of them snarled. "H-How a-are you d-doing this?"

"I learned this jutsu at the age of eight," she murmured. "It is considered forbidden because of the torture one could place upon another while they are within this circle. However, my father was a very sadistic man and wished only for me to learn the forbidden arts so that one day I could become the Kage of our village. It is a shame that he didn't get his wish."

One of them managed to take a step forward, but instantly the circle became darker in color, stopping his moments. She tilted her head to the side, her hand coming up. With a wave of her hand, though the human eye could not see it, chakra entered the shinobi's body at the exact level her hand was raised. When her hand past over the shinobi's body enough that chakra could no longer enter their body, they suddenly choked, blood dribbling down the side of their mouth. They others stiffened, and flinched when she once again sliced her hand as if slicing the shinobi's neck with a kunai, and their head snapped backwards, blood bursting through the skin. Even from the distance it splattered against her face. Even dead, the shinobi did not fall to the ground, though.

Sasuke stiffened, "How did she do that?" He was used to vast amounts of carnage and death, but he'd never seen anything similar to what was happening before his eyes. Especially when she lifted her hand, and a crackling sound began to fill the air. "She's not doing any…" his voice trailed off, as a black material formed in her hand and up her arm. "Is that…?" He glanced down at his hand, "That looks almost like my chidori."

She mumbled something under her breath, but they were only able to catch something that sounded similar to 'lightning'. The black substance around her arm pulsed, becoming larger in size, and the white chakra burst from her body out toward the edge of the barrier again. She moved quickly, the remaining eight shinobi unable to protect themselves as her arm was shoved straight through the chest of one of them. The black lightning was no longer on her arm, which lead them to believe it had entered the body of her victim. Her eyes glanced up, and then she pulled her arm back through his chest, and the blood that had not left the shinobi's body when her arm went through the shinobi's back finally splattered onto her clothing. As she turned her back to the shinobi, the black lightning burst through her victims flesh, whether it was male or female, sending the pieces of the body flying, as they were caught on fire.

As quickly as she had turned away, she turned back to where her last victim had been standing, and flung her hands out. They moved quickly through the air, chakra entering the two Iwagakure shinobi standing close together. She sliced the air many times, and then thrust her arms to her sides with so much force that the places where her hands had moved over instantly split open. Blood flew through the air, but this time she did not stop to allow it to hit her, but instead turned on her heel and bent her knees in order to put more force behind the kick that she sent toward another shinobi standing to her right. The shinobi was lifted off the ground, and her hand moved, his neck slicing open as soon as she did.

Gaara stood still, wishing to keep their presence a secret from her. He was not sure if she would extend the circle and kill them as well. He was not one to take that risk, and he hoped that the Uchiha would not be stupid enough to do so. He did not even blink as she thrust her hand through the chest of another shinobi, and the black lightning returned to her hand, as she moved her hand upward, splitting his head in two. The strange thing was the body and organs seemed to simply dissolve, while the blood was untouched, covering her body from head to toe.

Narrowing his eyes, he decided she had to be the jinchuuriki of a demon. There was no other explanation he could come up with for the way she acted, the way she moved, the way she used jutsus without making any hand signs. The most likely reason why he felt he was like her, too. Now, the only thing to do was figure out what demon she housed and possibly find out more about it. Then, his curiosity would leave him, and the woman would be nothing more than something he'd studied for a short time. Yes, for no woman should be able to make him wonder so much.

She froze as Sasuke shifted, and her black eyes turned toward them. A smirk formed onto her lips, before she turned her attention back to the shinobi before her. "It would seem we have guests," she laughed. "So you must die more quickly! We do not wish for them to lose interest, after all."

The barrier shifted, and the kanji took on a different color. The center where she'd once stood moved instantly to where she was standing, as the rest of the area inside the barrier burst into flames. She laughed, her head tilting backwards. Her fingers came up and she snapped them slowly three times, watching as the blood of her last three victims went flying within the fire, their bodies turning to ash within the black flames. Once the blood hit the ground, the laughing stopped, and the barrier instantly retracted back into the circle she stood in, disappearing along with the blood that should have been spilled upon the ground around her. However, she was still covered, the wet substance dripping from her fingers and clothing.

Gaara stood, his eyes watching her closely. Once she turned toward them, her eyes had returned to normal, and the markings had disappeared from her flesh. She had not made any sign in order to put an illusion up, but he could now see the white chakra that hid her true features, before it was sucked back inside her flesh as if it was never there. "Woman," he said.

"Gaara-sama," she smiled. "Did you like what you saw?"

Sasuke stood soon afterward, his hand slightly shaking. He would have killed her if it weren't for the fact her victims had been Iwagakure shinobi. Still, he couldn't help but wonder just how dangerous she could be as her tongue slipped out and she caught some of the blood sliding down her face onto the appendage.

"How about you, Uchiha-san?" she chuckled.

"Come," Gaara stated.

"Oh, are we going back to the village now?" she asked like a little child. She giggled afterward almost like she was drunk, but came forward, appearing beside them with a great amount of speed. "Yes, I believe that is where we're going!"

Sasuke cringed at the laugh that left her mouth.

Gaara simply blinked, watching as she brought her hand up and spread the splattered blood on her nose and lips onto her cheeks and down her neck. She appeared to take pleasure in it. His eyes narrowed, knowing that she could easily turn her circle against Konohagakure or Sunagakure. He would kill her should she do so.

"Yes, I simply cannot wait," she said. "I heard that there are some excellent hot springs that I should try!"


	11. Ten

His eyes watched her closely, wondering why she'd suddenly went from killing those Iwagakure shinobi to twisting in circles around the forest. He'd never seen such a cold blooded killer do such a thing, which made him think that perhaps she wasn't a killer, but simply insane. Way worse than Gaara had been during the chuunin exams, which now seemed to long ago. Then, after she'd twisted a few times, she made a few moves almost like she was dancing to her own beat, as if music was flooding from the forest and into her ears. He wouldn't doubt it, considering the way she'd simply killed without hesitation.

Sasuke allowed his eyes to narrow a bit when she seemed to bounce back toward them, her eyes glittering, yet dark. They held surfacing malice, but he felt that it wasn't directed at them, but something that was bubbling beneath the surface of her mind. Something that killing her opponents had pushed into the background until her strange personality switch reverted itself. She almost seemed like a carefree child who'd eaten one to many sweets just to defy her parents.

"Uchiha-san!"

He twitched, though he was glad she wasn't hanging on him like one of his fan girls and asking him over and over again to go on a date with her. Plus, she didn't go any further than to call him by his last name, instead of calling him "Sasuke-kun" like most of the girls in Konohagakure did, even when he told them to never speak with him again. Yes, it did make him feel strange, almost like his father when younger, but he had gotten used to it over time.

"Did you know your hair sticks out in the back?" she asked. "Its very strange, since it almost reminds me of a bird!"

He twitched again, wondering why she wasn't directing any of her words at the silent Kazekage. Her giggling wasn't as irritating as most of the women he knew, but it was still annoying that she didn't have one thing to say to the Sunagakure leader. No, everything she'd said so far had been directed toward him, almost like she was ignoring Gaara completely. That caused him to twitch again, wondering if she was like all his fan girls.

"But not just any bird," she said. "The back of a chicken!" She laughed again. She brought her hands up and ran them through her hair, almost like she was trying to make her hair go into the same style that his was in. However, she stopped after a moment, dropped her hands, and giggled again.

Gaara's eyes shifted to her from the path ahead of them, wondering faintly what had happened to her. His first guess would be the demon sealed inside of her had calmed enough from her killing that her true personality was rising to the surface, but he didn't wish to lean too much onto that one. His second guess would be that the demon inside of her, if he was correct in his assumption, was very satisfied, almost to the point that it seemed drunk, and those were reflected on its vessel. Strange, though, he didn't quite know what to make of that guess. Shukaku had always seemed like a drunk, even if he had been very intelligent, and it would have been very annoying to find another demon that was similar to that blasted tanuki. If that were the case, though, the dark rings around her eyes, though gone now, would have meant she had insomnia, but he knew from watching her sleep that she did not.

Sasuke visibly twitched. No one had ever dared to mention anything about his appearance, or compare it to such an animal.

"It's almost pretty, too!" She turned again, and then caught his eye. "But it's not the right color."

"What's the right color then?" Sasuke asked mockingly.

She gripped the red locks in front of her eyes and began to pull them apart, before braiding them lightly. "Onyx is nice," she smiled, "but I like red! Like Gaara-sama's!" She giggled again, a blush covering her cheeks almost like she'd gotten her hand caught inside her mother's cookie jar. She turned and raced a short distance from them, before turning back, only to giggle again.

"Definitely insane," Sasuke mumbled.

Gaara shook his head, his hair falling just a bit over his eyes. "She is obsessed with blood. It is only natural she would like the color," he stated.

"Did you not hear what I just heard?" Sasuke asked. "Her voice is lighter, and she's acting like a child."

"She appears to be drunk," Gaara replied, turning his eyes toward the Uchiha. "Somewhat."

"Somewhat? More like down to the very bone from how she acted when I first met her," Sasuke grunted. He lowered his eyes, and then glowered at the ground. Kicking the dirt, he muttered, "My hair doesn't look like the back of a chicken."

A small smirk formed onto Gaara's lips when he heard the words.

"Yes it does!"

Eyes widening only a fraction, Sasuke asked, "How did she hear that?"

She turned toward them, her face still slightly red, and even at the distance she seemed to be able to make out everything. "My ears are better trained than yours, Uchiha-san!"

Sasuke twitched again at the nearly chipper tone. Plus, it was grating on his nerves that she continued to address him, and insult him, when she only had a comment on how she liked Gaara's hair. He blamed it on the fact that he was so used to women simply falling at his feet and begging him to acknowledge their presence since he could remember. He twitched again, pushing that thought away as fast as he could, since it irked him that he  _might_  actually like their attention, just a  _little_  bit.

For a moment, he feared he'd been hanging around Naruto and Kakashi way too long, and way too often. Mostly Kakashi, though, that bastard and his dirty books that he insisted on reading were going to be the death of his sanity. Now that he thought about it, for a length of time, and sometimes even now, Naruto did hang out with that perverted Sannin that wrote those dirty books Kakashi was always seen reading. Naruto had to be just as bad after all that time with him, so that meant he needed to stop hanging around his former teammate, especially whenever he came jumping along only to beg for him to go on a mission with him. He needed to stop going with him, break all ties that he had to him, which would hopefully break all ties he had to that pervert named Jiraiya. Thinking about it, he'd have to break all ties with Kakashi as well, not something hard to do, since he read Jiraiya's books like a little child would inhale candy.

She twirled again, her hands stretching out at her sides as her smile dimmed a bit on her lips. Her hands came up as her spinning slowed, and she grabbed ahold of her red strands, twirling it between her fingers in hopes of calming herself. Something told her that she was not well, something told her that she was not  _right_ , though she could not pinpoint what that meant. Something, though, something told her to snap out of the strange bit of happiness she'd found and to go back to the way she had been. Her smile did not completely fade, but her giggling died, and her eyes turned toward the clouds rolling across the sky.

" _You'll never escape, you're my daughter_."

" _I am nothing to you. Die._ "

Her own voice echoed into her thoughts, and she knew it was her own, even though it was more controlled. More closed off from the world than she felt right now—almost like she had changed somehow.

" _Monster, I knew I should have killed you when I had the chance._ "

Laughter filled her head, flashes of memories going through her mind at an increasing rate. Her eyes closed for a moment, blood streaking across the back of her eyes into her vision. When they opened again, a tear fell from her eye, for she hated the fact that she could not keep herself from remembering those things. She knew that was what she was, a monster. She knew that, for she had always been one, but at times she knew that she became more open and more cheerful, but at those times she remembered more than she wanted to. She remembered all the things she blocked away, that melted together into scenes that made no sense.  _Damn you_.

The laughter increased. " _It is not my fault you gave into your weakness._ "

 _It is your fault I feel this way_ , she hissed.

" _Perhaps_ ," the voice replied. " _You'll just have to deal with it then, won't you?_ "

 _I hate you_.

" _I feel flattered that you think of me in such a way. Especially since you haven't shown that emotion except to one other._ " The voice laughed again.

Images of her father flashed through her mind. His dark hair, and deep brown eyes—the insanity those eyes showed whenever he looked at her. The sickening smile he sent her whenever she managed to master another jutsu. The pat on the head she'd gotten when she did as he asked, and the laughter that would bellow from his throat whenever she did it instantly. The lean body he had, and the way he moved whenever he showed her another jutsu that he wanted her to learn. The way his blood rose into the air when she split his throat in two, his head flying into the air and hitting the ground rolling.

Pushing the memories away, another tear cascaded down her cheek. The memories were fresh, all of them, because she couldn't forget any of them. She didn't wish to go back into her guarded state so quickly, but she did not know how else to make the thickening images to leave her be. The way her hand twitched whenever she saw herself slash a kunai through another throat, or her fan opening and flying through the air, the steel tips embedding themselves into another body. She managed to stop herself from crying, and nearly bounced from one foot to the other, trying to make the images go away, instead of getting rid of the happiness she actually  _felt_.

"You alright?"

Kagome turned her head toward the Uchiha now standing at her side, and noticed that the Kazekage was standing at her other side. Apparently she had slowed to a pace that they had easily caught up with her. However, the strange look the Uchiha was giving her caused her lips to twitch upward, though her happy feeling was still dissipating with each passing second. She nodded, and then turned her attention toward the forest in front of her, wondering which one of the two caused her emotions to calm.

The growling in her head increased, and she didn't catch most of the words the voice said. " _…Shukaku… stupid girl._ "

Sasuke's raised an eyebrow, noticing the way she tensed just a bit more. Yes, he was leaning more and more toward his idea that she was insane. Watching her turn her head back to him and stick her tongue out at his stare, he twitched again. Yes, she was insane. No woman would be foolish enough to stick her tongue out at him, Uchiha Sasuke, especially not one that the Kazekage might find interesting. Something was wrong with that woman.

Gaara watched silently, as the Uchiha stiffened and his eyes widened in horror. Shaking his head lightly, he turned his attention back to the woman standing at his side, with the Uchiha on her other. She was once again moving as if she heard a soft beat echoing into her ears from the forest around them. Her eyes were closed, and he sensed that she was beginning to calm. Blinking once, he looked at the blood still covering her body, and decided it would be best to get her to the hot springs before taking her back to the tower. That and making sure to get it into the Uchiha's head that she killed shinobi from his village's enemy, which meant that she'd done the village a favor. Not to simply tell his Hokage that she had murdered nine shinobi, which would most likely put her on permanent lockdown in a cell where he could not fill his curiosity of her.

She was an interesting creature whose mystery continued to gnaw at his consciousness. For a moment, the Kazekage almost noticed that no woman had ever managed to snare his curiosity so easily, but he ignored that piece of him. She was simply something that would lose its appeal after so long, and then he would go back to his village in order to live life as he had ever since Shukaku was extracted from him. Or, perhaps, he might be able to convince Tsunade to allow him to take her from Konohagakure to Suna, so that she would not have to worry about her every second of the day. He was sure the Hokage would wonder about his reason for it, but she would probably do it in order to make her life a little easier for a while.

* * *

The pile was getting bigger and bigger with each passing second. Tsunade's eye twitched madly, she did not like where this was going. Pretty soon, she was positive, that pile was going to topple over and bury her. She was going to die a slow death and no one would notice because Shizune would be too busy trying to find her more paperwork to do, and everyone else would not be able to hear her screams through the mound that would be on top of her. Then, after a few hours, they would finally go searching for their precious Hokage and find her buried underneath the stack of paperwork that did her in. Maybe, just maybe, they'd be kind enough to burn the paperwork that killed her, or maybe make the next sap that took this job do it in her memory within a day.

She could remember exactly how that killer stack had gotten onto her desk, too. She'd finally finished the paperwork for that day and then suddenly Shizune came rushing in with a stack so high that she'd nearly felt her eyes pop out of her skull. Then, once it had been put onto her desk, Shizune said that there was still left over paperwork from when that blasted old man had been Hokage. She swore up one side of that gigantic stack and down the other, cursing that old man for not doing it when he was supposed to. She could have sworn she heard his laughter in her ears, and she would have killed him herself if Orochimaru hadn't already done it so long ago. So,  _so_  long it would seem, because she could barely remember most of what she signed and what day she began, only that there had been so much paperwork waiting for her when she agreed to take this stupid, stupid job.

Turning her head up, after signing her name to another piece, and setting it to the side with the Hokage seal, she narrowed her eyes at the door. She could have sworn…  _yes_ , those were footsteps coming toward her door and she was going to kill Shizune if she was bringing her more paperwork. Watching the door closely, having already been in a bad mood from when Naruto came in screaming that he'd lost the woman he was supposed to watch, she narrowed her eyes further. Her entire body twitched for a few moments, matching the beat of the footsteps coming toward her.

As the door began to open, she growled, "I swear, Shizune, if you're bringing me anymore paperwo—Oh, Uchiha."

"Hokage-sama," Sasuke smirked, tilting his head to one side in order to see the Godaime's face beyond the stack of paperwork on her desk. He could just bet that her bad mood was not caused by Naruto, but possibly the fact that she hadn't gotten any type of alcohol to drink, nor been able to go out and gamble for a while. Not that it would do her any good, she wasn't good at gambling in the first place and losing usually got her into a worse mood than she'd been in to start with.

"Well, what do you want? Can't you see I'm busy?" Tsunade growled. "I swear, you and Naruto are going to be the death of me—"

"So, he's already told you?" Sasuke asked.

"Told me that he lost a possibly dangerous woman, yes," Tsunade nodded. "Was that what you were speaking of, because I can't read your mind. Not that I would want to, either, who knows what's going on in there. You were Kakashi's student, after all."

Frowning at the insult, Sasuke straightened himself. "I came to inform you of where the  _woman_ , as you liked to call her, went while out of Naruto's sight, Hokage-sama."

"Really? And you know this how?" Tsunade questioned. She  _really_  needed something to drink. Preferably something alcoholic, since she wasn't going to get drunk on water—though, she had no doubt her mind could tell her she was if someone else told her it was alcohol.

"Kazekage-sama and I followed her into the forest," Sasuke replied.

"Mhm," Tsunade nodded. "And what, pray tell, did she do out in the forest? Because, at this moment, I'm pretty sure she wasn't going out there to talk to the  _cute_  woodland animals." Seeing Sasuke's shake his head, she narrowed her eyes further. "Spit it out, Uchiha. I am not in the mood to play games with you little twits today. Can't you see I'm a very busy wom—?"

"We followed her quite some distance, she is quite fast to have traveled there quicker than we did—not to mention her head start. When we came upon her, she used a jutsu which she called 'Death Circle', which created a barrier around the clearing she was facing." Sasuke paused for a moment, allowing the information to sink in.

"Tell me, Uchiha, what was in this clearing?" Tsunade asked.

"Iwagakure shinobi," Sasuke replied.

Tsunade's eyes widened, and her hand clenched. "How far away is this clearing?"

"About a mile and a half from the eastern wall," Sasuke said.

Tsunade nodded, cursing the squad she'd sent out to patrol that area for not finding them. "What exactly did she do? I take it the name 'Death Circle' is not used lightly," she demanded, her tone becoming more serious. If there were Iwagakure shinobi around the eastern wall then there could be more just waiting to ambush them, or at least try.

"No, it is not, Hokage-sama. She mentioned that inside the circle she could kill them in any way, which was true. She did not need to use any type of hand seal while inside in order for her jutsu to work, and she killed most of them before noticing us. Then, she said something about needing to kill them quicker and the kanji in the barrier changed in response, before fire burst from the ground, killing the remaining few." Sasuke's eyes sharpened a bit, "Before she began, white chakra, visible to the eye, swept out from her body, and her eyes changed so that the iris was completely black and there were black markings around her eyes."

Tsunade nodded. "And?"

"Kazekage-sama mentioned something about her possibly being a jinchuuriki, and asked me to stress the fact that though she killed," Sasuke sighed, "she did kill Iwagakure shinobi. She went out into the forest possibly in hopes to find someone other than people of this village to kill, for whatever reason she may have."

Tsunade nodded again, knowing that was true. Her eyes darkened a bit, sensing something just wasn't right. Something bad was going to happen, and if she could bet on it, that girl was going to be right in the center of everything when it did. "Very well. Where is she now?"

"Kazekage-sama insisted on taking her to the local hot spring in order to wash the blood that covered her," Sasuke replied.

Tsunade sighed.  _Again_  with the blood—something was very wrong with that girl. Really, couldn't that girl keep herself from being covered in  _blood_  of all things?

* * *

The sound of splashing water and her giggles entered his ears again. His eyes cast over the women that obviously knew that he did not wish for them to come any closer. Especially when he was leaning against the entrance to the local bathhouse for women. Some would giggle when they saw him, but quickly back away and turn to leave. Others would blush, stutter while trying to ask him what he was doing there, before rushing in the opposite direction. The most entertaining ones were probably the ones that did both, but none of them were truly remembered for anything other than the actions they showed while coming toward the bathhouse.

Turning his head, Gaara blinked at the sight of Shikamaru and Ino walking by, while Lee and TenTen were close behind them, saying something about dango. Shaking his head, he turned so that he was facing in straight ahead, but stiffened when he heard the noise inside the bathhouse cease completely. Either she was done, since her clothing did need to be washed as well, or there was a problem. Turning his head, he heard the slight movement of water, and knew that she was still inside.

"YOU PERVERT!"

Gaara blinked, turning his head again, listening as something very large hit the water. Moving so that he could see inside, he noticed that the woman he'd left to wash was standing on the platform to the right of the spring in nothing but a towel. It wouldn't have bothered him so much if her towel wasn't beginning to slip down, or the white-haired Sannin came up out of the water coughing, hitting his chest with his left fist.

"I do not see how that was necessary," he coughed.

"HOW DARE YOU!" Kagome roared, her eyes flashing. "I should kill you where you stand, old man!"

"Now, now, there's no need for violence," he laughed.

Kagome snarled dangerously. "Tell me, pervert, who the hell you think you are?"

"Why," he smiled, doing a pose in the water. "I am one of the Sannin, the white-haired frog tamer, Jiraiya!"

" _Sannin_? Don't make me laugh, pervert," Kagome snarled. Her lips twitched upward into a smile though, and her eyes glinted dangerously. "You're nothing but an old pervert who obviously can't keep himself from looking into the women's bath. Makes me wonder if you have any brains at all, since I'm sure you get hit a  _lot_."

"I am offended!" Jiraiya gasp. "I was merely doing research."

"Research my ass," Kagome barked. "Get the  _fuck_  out of here before I rip out your throat and allow the entire spring to turn red with your life's essence!"

Jiraiya laughed nervously, and quickly moved to the side, keeping a hesitant eye on the raging woman. However, as he began to exit, he said, "Did you know that your towel is falling? Not that I mind—"

"Agh!"

Jiraiya yelped as a black sandal hit him in the back of the head, causing him to fall completely out of the entrance. As he began to stand, his hand coming up to rub at the back of his head, he sniffled. "Someone remind me to avoid that crazy woman like the plague," he whimpered.

"With pleasure."

Jiraiya stiffened and turned his head up to see the Kazekage glaring down at him. Laughing nervously, he stood to full height, towering over the young leader. "Oh, Kazekage-sama, what are  _you_  doing here?" his eyes gleamed, wondering what answer he would get from the young man. The former jinchuuriki glared at him, his eyes darkening a shade or two. "Um," Jiraiya gulped, "don't mind me, Kazekage-sama. I wasn't trying to cause trouble, nor was I looking at your woman, I swear!"

Gaara blinked at the words, his eyes widening a bit at the realization that must have popped into Jiraiya's head. No doubt this would end up in his next  _novel_. Glaring harder, he silently told the man to run, and watched as the white-haired old man did just that, rushing off into the distance. His fingers twitched, before he crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for the woman to get done. Still, the woman was not his in any way, she was merely something that interested him for the time being—the pervert could think what he wanted, he wasn't going to stop him.

"Stupid old pervert," he heard, his eyes turning once more to notice that she was beginning to allow the towel to fall completely from her body. Blinking, he turned his head rather quickly, and heard the sound of her sinking into the water. Cursing his traitorous eyes, he saw the image of her backside enter his head, and growled. There was no way he was going to end up like that pervert Jiraiya.

* * *

He sobbed into his hands. "I can't believe I-I lost her! How am I going to become Hokage now!"

Tsunade was  _never_  going to forgive him.

Glancing over his book, he sighed. Closing it, he gently placed it into his vest, before turning his head to the younger shinobi. "I'm sure it's not that bad, Naruto."

"But, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto whined. "Tsunade-baa-chan gave me that mission! She's never going to forgive me for losing her! Never! I'll never be Hokage now!"

"There will be other missions, Naruto," Kakashi sighed.

"But this one was big, Kakashi-sensei!  _Big_!" Naruto cried. "Really, really, really, big! I was supposed to watch her!" Sniffling, he turned his head to the masked jounin, and narrowed his eyes. "This is all your fault!"

Blinking, Kakashi asked, "How, may I ask, is this my fault?"

"You got me talking to you because you refused to clean my apartment as Tsunade-baa-chan told you to!" Naruto shouted, jumping up to shove his face into that of his former sensei. "You distracted me from my mission! I blame you, Kakashi-sensei!"

"Calm down, Naruto—"

"Uzumaki Naruto," a voice said.

They turned to see an ANBU standing a few feet away from them.

"The Hokage wishes to see you," the ANBU finished.

Naruto huffed, and nodded, watching the ANBU disappear in a cloud of smoke. Turning his head back around, he expected to see Kakashi still sitting on the bench, and found him gone. Yelling, he threw his hands into the air, and looked around. "This is still your fault, Kakashi-sensei! You can't run away from that fact!" With those words, he quickly transported himself to the Hokage Tower, hoping to make Tsunade see the logic behind his explanation.

Kakashi giggled, his face buried back inside his book as he sat behind a bush very close to the bench he'd originally been on. Naruto's words did not reach his ears as he continued to soak in Jiraiya's beautiful masterpiece.

 


	12. Eleven

"Tsunade-baa-cha— _YOU_!" Naruto lifted his hand, pointing at the woman smiling at him from the seat she'd taken next to the Kazekage. His eyes widened at the happiness that actually seemed to leak from her skin, but then there was a flash in her eyes, and he felt himself tense, ready for anything she may throw at him. However, she did nothing, merely turning the other way so that she was once again facing Tsunade, but the growling of Kyuubi increased a small amount. At that moment, he almost wished the stupid fox would talk to him, but he'd been shut out every time he'd tried to ask a question.

Narrowing his eyes, he swept it over Tsunade's desk, taking notice that there was a bottle of sake sitting on top and the paperwork was gone. Obviously swept onto the floor from the look of it sitting there. However, his eyes quickly left the sight and found that his friend was also standing in the room, strangely close to the woman that he was supposed to be watching, and had failed. Normally that wouldn't have bothered him, if he hadn't seen the way Gaara had shown slight interest in her. "Sasuke-teme," he growled.

"Dobe," Sasuke greeted him, hearing the woman sitting at his right giggle.

Tsunade's eyes flickered toward her for a moment, and then she sighed, shifting back to Naruto. "Naruto, we need to talk," she stated. She'd been rather shocked when the woman had come in, and instead of scowling and muttering to herself, was giggling at something that Sasuke had said after she'd sent him to retrieve her and the Kazekage. In fact, she'd nearly fallen out of her chair, though she could tell from the look in the woman's eyes that she was merely paying attention to the Uchiha for her own personal gain, whatever it may be.

Naruto nodded, keeping his eye on the woman.

"Naruto, it has come to my attention that you may not be the best suited for the mission I gave you," Tsunade began. "You have nearly gotten yourself killed, and allowed her to escape your senses at the same time. Now, you have allowed her out of your sight while you were following her, and because of this she managed to leave the village for a short time. Tell me, Naruto, do you have  _any_  type of excuse for your lack of attention?"

Naruto sighed, bowing his head. "No."

"Then I believe it is best for now that your current mission be placed into the hands of someone more capable of completing it," Tsunade closed her eyes, escaping the sight Naruto was making for a moment. However, her hand reached out and she grabbed the neck of her sake bottle, dragging it closer to her. Then, she opened her eyes and looked at the woman sitting between Sasuke and the Kazekage. Her voice a little tired, she asked, "What do you think, Kagome-san?"

"I believe that is acceptable, Hokage-sama," Kagome smirked, her eyes glittering.

Tsunade silently gritted her teeth together. She really hated the way that woman talked to her, since she always seemed to speak as if she was talking down to a child. She was not only the Hokage of Konohagakure, but also one of the three legendary Sannin, she deserved more respect than the  _girl_  gave her. Though she had to admit it probably seemed like quite a bit to anyone who didn't pay close attention to her tone of voice. "Very well," she ground out, "from this moment on, Uchiha Sasuke will be the one to watch over your movements. Be warned, though, Kagome-san, if you leave this village again without notifying anyone, you will be—"

"I understand, Hokage-sama," Kagome said, her tone darkening.

Tsunade glared at her. "Then you may leave. Naruto, I have another mission for you."

"Right!" Naruto smiled.

Kagome stood, "Come, Uchiha-san."

Sasuke stiffened a bit at her command. He knew that his fan girls weren't going to like his mission, probably making as much trouble for them as possible, even if it was only a mission. However, she had just given him an order as if she expected him to follow it, she was his superior, and she could talk down to him at any time she wished. He could only hope that she didn't turn out to be like one of his fan girls, since he wasn't sure exactly what crazy schemes they could come up with in order to win his favor.

After Gaara followed them, Tsunade turned her attention to Naruto. "I have a new mission for you, Naruto. Something came up this morning after you came to tell me of your mistake."

Naruto frowned, "What is it, Tsunade-baa-chan?" He didn't like the serious tone that the Hokage was giving him, nor did he like the fact that Tsunade was staring deeply into her sake bottle. It was almost as if Tsunade could sense that something bad was going to happen, and Naruto didn't like that one bit.

* * *

Kagome's face lit up for a single second, as she spotted her possible friend. She'd never truly had a friend, she'd thought she had once, but she'd ended up betraying her because of her foolish father's words. She completely ignored the Uchiha walking slightly behind and to the left of her, as she raised her hand to wave. "Temari!" she said, moving forward at a slightly quicker pace.

 

The image of a kunai shooting through the air and sinking into the flesh of her opponent's neck suddenly streaked across her mind. Kagome's pace skipped a beat, but she managed to keep going, cursing the memories that continued to haunt her for the time being. Especially when a young girl's smiling face entered her minds eye, before turning horrified and turning to ash as it blew away in the  _wind_. She knew that these images would not leave her until she slept, but she did not feel the need to do so just yet. She was strong enough; she could handle her memories for a while, especially since most of them had such beautiful red blood splashing across the surface. And, if she really needed to, she could think about her newest victims in order to get rid of the memories.

The other kunoichi turned, and blinked. However, Temari smiled a bit when she noticed that Kagome was waving at her, whereas before she had merely nodded her head. Either she'd missed something, or there was something different from before. Her fingers did linger on her holster, though, knowing that some of Kagome's weapons were in there. From what she'd heard, if the other kunoichi wanted to, she'd easily be able to snatch them off her body without her noticing. "Oh, Kagome!"

Her eyes gleamed brightly in the sun, as she came to a halt in front of the Sunagakure shinobi. However, her eyes shifted suspiciously to the other shinobi staring at her, four of them in all. "Who are your…  _friends_?" Kagome asked, her posture straightening a little more.

Temari blinked, "From left to right, they're Shikamaru, Ino, TenTen, and Lee."

Kagome nodded her head, before shifting her body to bow low. "I am Kagome," she said. Her voice gained a small edge, warning them a bit in case she needed to. Then her eyes settled onto one of them, and she hissed, "You're the one who was with that idiot when he knocked me out."

Shikamaru sighed, "What a drag." However, he watched her closely afterward, noticing the way her eyes narrowed more. Naruto had hit her quite hard and so quickly that it was hard to imagine how she'd recognized  _him_ , when she should have only picked up on Naruto's chakra signature before he hit her, if at all. To instantly recognize his when he hadn't even showed his face until after she was knocked unconscious meant that she was very aware of her surroundings or was more alert than she'd seemed to be when it had happened. She was an unknown; especially since it was quite obvious she was a shinobi, which made her dangerous.

The sound of quickly moving footsteps entered her ears, right before a hand grabbed her arm. Kagome tensed a bit, growling at the Uchiha as he glared down at her. He was not as bothersome as the idiot Uzumaki Naruto, but that did not mean that he had the right to handle her roughly. "Uchiha-san," she growled, "I suggest you release me."

"Don't go running off like that again," Sasuke snapped, tightening his hold for a second and then releasing her.

She snorted, "Do not expect for me to listen to your commands anytime in the near future."

"You may want to," Sasuke said, "unless you want Tsunade-sama to throw you into a cell."

Her eyes narrowed, her happy mood quickly disappearing, "I would not remain there for long." Her eyes noticed the quick movement of the blonde haired girl, and moved before she could hit her. Her breath came out in a hiss, her hand twitching to grab the blonde locks and give a nice yank as they slapped her in the face. However, as her face turned to one of anger, she noticed the Kazekage as he stepped up next to her, and calmed just a bit. She did not understand how he managed to do it, but she was glad for it, since she did not wish to be hunted at the moment.

Temari's eyes widened at the sight of her brother standing next to the girl she'd helped. She'd seen the way her face had changed, and her hand had gripped her fan in that instance. Though she'd helped her, she still knew very little about her, and she had been positive that she was going to attack Ino. However, it was strange that her brother had been the one to calm her, and Temari's eyebrow rose at the way the woman turned her head as if uninterested.

"Sasuke-kun," Ino asked, "what are you doing with that strange woman?" She'd always wanted to be the one to capture his heart; she didn't want some new woman to take it from her. However, even then she knew that she shouldn't even try after Sakura had died. Still, she wanted to be the one to mend his heart, she was so sure it was broken now, and that woman wouldn't get in her way of that.

"Completing my mission," Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Your mission?" Ino asked, blinking rapidly.

"Are you hard of hearing?" Kagome asked, feeling her mood changing. "Or did you not understand that you must repeat what he said in the form of a question?"

Ino stiffened, turning toward her with a fire in her eyes. "What did you just say?"

"Hm," Kagome smirked, "I'm starting to believe that you are hard of hearing if you didn't catch what I said." She stopped talking; scowling when she noticed the way the male at her side was looking at her. She snorted again, her lip twitching slightly as she wondered why she had stopped. So, she continued, "Tell me, are all kunoichi in this village as hard of hearing as you are?" The other female stiffened, while the man named Lee began to protest at her words, calling them 'un-youthful'. "I would think so, since none of them seem to notice anything except the men in front of their eyes."

"How dare you," Ino hissed.

Noticing the kunai now in Ino's hand, Kagome smirked a little wider. "I would believe that striking at me first would only get you into trouble. What type of shinobi are you anyway? Do you not know that you're not supposed to show your true feelings? Or do you merely hate me enough already that you wish to spill my blood?"

" _Stupid girl. If you don't want to bring attention to yourself, why do you continue to provoke them?_ I  _am beginning to think you're stupider than I thought._ "

_Shut up._

Ino huffed, wanting to stomp her foot in anger. However, she turned her eyes to the silent male at her side, and hissed, "Sasuke-kun?"

"Are you that weak that you must hide behind others? Men especially?" Kagome laughed. "You're pathetic. It is a wonder how you obtained the position of a shinobi." She turned away, smirking to herself as she began to walk away from them. Her eyes flashed as she did, once again locking away her memories as they tried to assault her, and feeling something bristle underneath her skin.

Sasuke sighed, beginning to follow her.

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes a bit, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Her mood changed rather quickly," he muttered to himself. Then, he sighed, "This is so troublesome."

Temari frowned a bit in agreement.

Gaara allowed his eyes to flicker over them, and then turned to follow the woman. She'd shut herself inside of herself, it seemed, shoving her happiness to the side in order to allow her sharp tongue to take control. It did change rather quickly, something that made her a little more interesting, since he was not sure whether she was going to giggle or snap at him. And it was strange that she tried so hard to distance herself from others, since most wished for companionship of some kind.

* * *

"What did you find?" he hissed deeply, his eyes watching the other man closely. They narrowed when the other man stiffened just a bit, and ducked his head so that the tips of his bangs covered his eyes enough that they could not be seen.

 

"The Clan… has been…" the man stopped, dropping his eyes a little further.

His pause was not welcome, as he lifted his head more to glare at the man. "Well, spit it out, you fool!"

Tensing further, the man bowed his head a little more in response. "Forgive me, Orochimaru-sama. I merely regret to tell you that the entire Clan has been destroyed."

"What!" Orochimaru replied, his snake-like eyes widening.

The man lifted his head just a bit, "From my source, I found that the village was attacked when everyone of its members was inside, leaving none alive. Their bodies had been mutilated so badly that no one within the village was able to identify any of them." He gulped, "However, my source was able to tell me that it was more likely that someone who came from the Clan killed them."

"How did they know this?" he asked.

"Every jutsu of the village has been recorded," the man replied. "According to my source, and some of the village rumors, the only known jutsu inside of the village—unless they were attacked by some other village shinobi—capable of doing that type of damage was from that Clan," he stopped again. "It was also mentioned by their kage when he was telling the village of their loss that though only a few bodies  _could_  be identified, one body was missing from the number of members the Clan had."

"Interesting," Orochimaru chuckled. "Was there anything more that you were able to find? I would rather like finding this rouge shinobi, especially after finding out so much about their secret family jutsus."

The man finally gave a smirk, and lifted his head completely. His hand lifted, the picture in it seen easily in the candlelight. "My source had some interesting information on the head's daughter. Apparently she was often distant from the Clan," he noticed the way Orochimaru's eyes soaked in the girl's image, "and she was powerful enough to create such chaos."

Orochimaru laughed quite loudly, leaning forward in his chair. "This… this is the girl that the Clan's head sired?" he laughed out his question.

"Indeed she is, Orochimaru-sama…"


	13. Twelve

"I want you to take Neji and Kiba with you on this mission."

Naruto blinked, "Ok, ok. What is the mission, though, Tsunade-baa-chan?"

"You'll be trying to found out if a certain rumor is true, Naruto. As I said, I only just heard it this morning," Tsunade sighed. "However, it is of utter importance that you, Neji, and Kiba find out if it is true."

Once again, Naruto asked, " _What_  is the mission, Tsunade-baa-chan?"

"Rumor has it," Tsunade said, "that Orochimaru had come out of hiding."

Naruto became silent, staring at her with wide eyes.

"I was told this morning that he might be heading this way very soon." Tsunade dipped her head, and then looked up at the blonde. "You're not to engage him if you come in range of him, nor are you to make is obvious what you're doing. I merely want you to find out if the rumor is true. Do you understand, Naruto?"

Naruto nodded, "I understand, Tsunade-baa-chan."

"And Naruto," Tsunade hissed, "one more thing."

"Ah, yeah?" Naruto blinked. He watched the way Tsunade rose from her seat, her eyes narrowing a bit more, while her hand twitched a little. He gulped, knowing from experience that something bad was about to happen to him.

Tsunade, with great strength, lifted the sake bottle she was holding in her hand, and threw it toward the younger shinobi. Naruto gave a cry and barely managed to evade the attack, as she screamed, "STOP CALLING ME BAA-CHAN!"

"B-But, Tsunade-ba—"

Tsunade yelled, "Get out, you stupid, stupid boy!" As he rushed toward the door, she added, "And don't forget your mission!" When he was gone, she huffed and sat down in her seat once more. Her eyes moved across her room and quickly caught sight of the paperwork on the floor next to her desk. Twitching a bit, she decided to ignore it for the moment.

The door opened suddenly, causing Tsunade to snap her eyes up toward the sound. Shizune stood there, more paperwork in her hands, as she smiled at the Godaime Hokage. However, Shizune sighed when she noticed the way the pervious paperwork from that day was on the floor, and said, "You really need to stop doing this, Tsunade-sama," as she laid the new paperwork on the desk.

Tsunade smirked, suddenly quite happy, "Ah, Shizune. It's so good you're here."

Shizune looked up, not liking the tone of voice Tsunade had suddenly gotten. "And… why's that, Tsunade-sama?"

"I need you to clean up this mess while I'm out," Tsunade smirked a little more, her eyes gleaming brightly.

"D-Do you have something you need to do?" Shizune asked, hoping that the gleam she'd seen wasn't what she thought it was. Tsunade would never learn that she just wasn't good at gambling, she owed so much money, and then she tried to put it off on someone else. That and she seriously did not want to go looking for her and find her drunk somewhere. After so many years it couldn't really make her look bad, but it continued to prove time and again that she could and would live up to her title.

"Just out," Tsunade replied, moving around her desk. "Oh, and Shizune?"

"Yes?" Shizune smiled uneasily.

"Don't be surprised if I come back with a ton of cash," Tsunade said.

 _Dear lord, no_ , Shizune whimpered to herself. Turning her attention to the pile of paperwork carelessly shoved onto the floor, she began to work as quickly as she could. There was no telling how much money Tsunade could actually lose in one night!

* * *

 _Pathetic bitch, she would not have even lifted a hand against me_ , she scoffed.  _Hiding behind a man, it is almost disgusting enough that even I would not wish to spill her blood._

" _Perhaps she is a smarter girl than you?_ " the voice laughed.

 _As if you would know_ , she snapped.  _You are as pathetic as she is. Hiding somewhere, constantly playing with my head for your own amusement. When will you find the courage to come out and fight me? When will you allow me to see your face before I rip your throat out?_

" _An angry wench you are_ ," the voice continued to laugh. Large black eyes flashed in front of her eyes, but she blinked it again, annoyed with the images. " _Perhaps I have already showed you my face, but you have not paid attention to it? Perhaps I am not playing with your head, but in it?_ "

She snorted.  _Ridiculous. You're only some stupid moron that's found amusement in following me my entire life—stalking me. If I had known you would not meet your end this early, I would have hunted you down so that you could not toy with me this way. You and that bitch are perfect examples of those who deserve to be on the receiving end of my jutsu._

The laughter increased in volume, before it died away in chuckles. " _A stupid girl you are, but you are getting more amusing with age. Though, I must admit that you continue to make reckless decisions. Becoming close to the previous vessel of Shukaku_ ," it snorted, " _you're such a stupid girl_."

 _You're no better_.

" _As if I could be placed into the same category_ ," it growled.

 _Then you're in denial, as well. Soon you will come to accept the fact that it is true,_  she mocked.

" _I really hate you, girl. If only you would let me out._ "

 _I still have no idea what you're talking about. Perhaps if you tried making your request clearer? Or used different words to show that you hold more intelligence than you seem to at the moment_ , she replied.

The growling in her head increased, the threatening sound not affecting her as she continued to walk. It was annoying to a certain degree, but after many years of having to listen to it, it was no longer frightening in any way. In fact, she was positive that it was not even growling at all, not like an animal, at least, but something entirely different. When she came up with something that might possibly sound the same, she'd begin to call it by that name, instead of growling.

Gaara's eyes flickered over to her for a moment, wondering for a brief second what she was thinking about. However, he mentally shook his head, casting his eyes over the people staring at them and the Uchiha following them not far behind. Then, he frowned a bit more in thought, and said, "The Uchiha was right."

"As if," she instantly replied, "that bitch shouldn't have dismissed me as nothing more than a weakling. Especially not one she could step upon each time she came into the presence of Uchiha-san."

"Such actions  _could_  get you locked away in a cell," Gaara said.

"Such actions  _could_  get me executed," she snorted. "Everything is possible."

He simply blinked.

"Just as it is possible for me to easily steal my weapons from Temari—I know she has them—and either escape from this nuthouse, or perhaps decide to kill a few hundred people along the way," she smirked a little. "As I said, anything is possible, but that does not mean that I wish for things to go that far. After all, if I hadn't controlled myself, that bitch would have had her precious blonde hair ripped from her scalp."

He blinked again, turning his head to the side as his lips twitched. "That would have gotten you locked away," he added.

"Yes," she nodded. "However, I did not do it, therefore I am not currently locked away in a cell in this village, and I still have a lapdog following my every move." She made sure that the words were loud enough for everyone to hear, and turned her head to smirk at the dark-eyed male following her. He instantly glared when her eyes settled upon him, obviously not amused by the term she'd given his position. Then she turned her attention back to the near silent Kazekage, and muttered, "Not that I care, though."

"Many would think otherwise," Gaara said. She hadn't ceased to amuse him yet, which was the reason he continued to follow her, he told himself. She was interesting, unlike any other woman he had ever set his eyes upon. That, and she was very different from them, seeming uncaring to what others thought of her, as she remained herself. Unlike some women he had ever met, she did not hide herself behind a mask, one that showed someone that she was not. She was honest, and he liked that.

"They can kiss my ass," she snarled.

"You can be very crude," Gaara told her, casting his eyes over her again.

"I was not raised to be a princess," she said, sighing a little to herself. Her eyes closed, pushing the anger back underneath her calm exterior. That stupid bitch had made her tongue fly and now she was angry. Being angry never got her anything good, and she did not wish to hurt someone who held an obviously higher rank than she did, for that would get her into a position she  _did not_  wish to be in.

 _Obviously_ , Gaara thought to himself.

His eyebrow twitched a little.  _Lapdog, am I?_  Sasuke thought. His eyes turned just a bit, looking at the women muttering amongst themselves and knew that the stupid woman's words would spread quite quickly. Her tone hadn't helped much, since he would have thought she was talking about some lovesick teen following her footsteps wherever she went if he was in someone elses shoes. However, he wasn't, and he was not amused by her words or her actions toward him. Though, he had to admit, she had gotten Ino pretty well. Sure, he hadn't liked it when she'd spoken about their village, but Ino needed to train more in order to be a better shinobi, not simply fuss over her hair and wonder if she'd ever catch his attention.

Deciding to get her back for the comment later, Sasuke allowed himself to focus on the nearness of the two people in front of him. At first, he knew, they had been at least five feet from each other, but after passing through a large crowd they seemed to have decided to merely ignore the fact that their hands were nearly brushing. Sasuke had known Gaara for quite some time, he knew that the normally stoic Kazekage had never showed any interest in the female population. Yet now, this woman that was obsessed with blood had seemed to have caught his eye, and the Uchiha couldn't help but wonder why. He also couldn't help but wonder if Gaara noticed it himself?

 _Doubt it_ , Sasuke thought amused.

Figuring the conversation was over, Kagome focused onto the road in front of her eyes. As a shinobi she was alert, always searching for possible danger, and she wondered why her attention could be so easily manipulated after so many years of it never happening. It annoyed her to no end, and caused the voice in her head to either laugh a bit, chuckle, or call her stupid. That really ticked her off, especially when she was already knee deep in a pool of bubbling fury. She told herself it was not important, but something told her it was, which made her a bit more irritated at the fact that she could not figure out the reason for her diverted attention.

Sighing, Kagome closed her eyes to the world around her once more. However, she soon opened them again, her pupils quickly adjusting to the increased light. Her vision focused and instantly caught sight of a single thing, a simple thing—a tall dark-haired male patting a young girl on the head as she stared up at him. She blinked at the sight, tilted her head slightly to the side, as her instincts told her to turn her head away. Then the girl turned, and she felt trapped, her eyes widening in horror, as she stopped to stare.

Gaara turned his head, narrowing his eyes at the look on Kagome's face. Afterward, almost immediately, his eyes sought out the reason for her sudden stop. He found a girl, which he was positive was what she was staring at when he returned his eyes to her. A small girl about the age of six, maybe seven, with long black hair, and deep, happy, blue-gray eyes—nothing out of place, not even as she clasped the hand of the man at her side and they moved down the street. Yet still, as he returned his eyes to Kagome once more, he found that she was staring at the little girl's back, her chest rising rather quickly.

A hand was placed onto her shoulder, pulling her away from the little girl. She turned her head, finding the Uchiha was once again behind her, staring at her in curiosity. His concerned voice washed over her, his question lost, as she turned her eyes to search for the little girl. When she did not find her, she shoved the Uchiha's hand from her shoulder, and snapped, "I'm fine."

Sasuke scowled, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Whatever."

Gaara's eyes narrowed a bit more, darkening a bit in color, as he looked at the woman passing him. She was not fine, she looked like she'd just seen a ghost, and the color was only slightly returning to her cheeks. Turning his head, he wondered why he was concerned for her health. Quickly telling himself it was because her good health kept her up and in his sight, instead of laying in a bed somewhere, thus being able to amuse him was the reason why, he watched the Uchiha follow her.

"I'm going to bed," Kagome stated, changing course so that she was heading back to the Hokage Tower. The feeling of unease settled upon her shoulders, and she shivered in the cooling air. She did not like the feeling, but the voice in her head seemed to find amusement in her plight.  _That girl…_  she whispered to herself,  _she looked so much like her._

* * *

The young girl shakes her head, feeling tears washing over her cheeks. "No," she whispers to herself, before the feeling of a hand on her head pulls her away from her thoughts.

"Come," the girl's father says.

She nods in obedience, not knowing what else to do. She knows that it is almost time for her to learn one of the family's more destructive jutsu, but the thoughts inside her head hurt. They hurt more than she thinks they should. The twisting inside her chest hurts so much that she wishes it would stop; that it will simply go away. As she walks with her father outside of their home and into the rest of the district that makes up their Clan, she blinks a few times to stop her tears. She knows she must not seem weak, never if she is to one day be respected by them all.

They soon come upon another young girl, who smiles instantly and shouts a name. The young girl she's smiling at hides behind the leg of her father, gripping his kimono in a vice-like hold, staring at the other girl with teary eyes. He frowns at her, but says nothing, as he turns his attention to the other young girl. "I am sure you're mother will understand," he says. "It will only be for a short while."

"Alright," the girl says, still smiling.

The sad little girl wipes again at her tears, and turns her head toward the other girl when she lays her hand onto her shoulder.

"Are you alright?" she asks.

She shakes her head, whimpering slightly, as she feels a few more tears spill over her cheeks. The twisting in her chest is increasing, and she quickly pushes away from the other little girl in order to walk beside her father. His hand once again pats her on the head, and she knows in that instant why they have left the Clan's district. Her eyes widen a bit, and she turns to look at the little girl following them with a smile, oblivious to the danger she is walking into. However, the painful twist in her chest reminds her of something, and her teary eyes turn into a glare and it settles onto the other girl, who frowns a little at seeing her look. So, she quickly turns away, hoping that she has not ruined what her father obviously has planned.

"Is this the place?" the other girl asks when they stop inside a clearing. She twirls around, and is instantly fascinated by the vibrant colors and many different flowers. However, she frowns a little deeper when she turns her eyes toward the two standing next to each other, the tall father staring down at her emotionlessly, while the little girl glares at her. Her frown deepens, and she takes a step forward, bringing her hands up to clasp together, as she asks what's wrong.

The little girl lowers her head. Her hands come up, and she feels her father pat her once more on her head. Chakra blazes beneath her skin, the increasing amount manipulated as she wishes it to be as her hands begin to make hand signs. Her head comes up, and she finds the other little girl staring at her in question, before her hands finally make the last hand sign, and her chakra flares. Pain rushes through her arms, pinpointing itself at her hands, which turn black.

The other little girl screams as suddenly hands rip through the ground, each one bleeding through the palm. She raises her head to find that the little girl in front of her also has bleeding palms, and screams a little louder. Blood is not something that scares her, not even something she will flinch at, but the sight of the little girl's vicious eyes scares her. Seeing her mutter, she finds that she cannot hear what the little girl is saying, and quickly raises her hand to grip her hair in a nervous action.

"I… I curse your soul to a lifetime of servitude," the little girl says hesitantly. "I… I chain you to this lifetime and to myself to do with as I wish. This is my will, obey it!" She watches as the blood swirls up from where it's flooding from the hands, and encasing the screaming little girl. However, as soon as it happens, the blood seems to shrink in on itself and then finally bursts apart. She stares at the sight, her eyes widening as the other little girl's lifeless eyes stare at her, the silvery-blue substance behind her shooting towards her a moment later. The other little girl's body drops to the ground and is consumed by the blood and hands as they sink back into the ground.

The silvery-blue substance slams into her, swirls around her hair, and then settles. She nearly screams at the feeling, but manages to grit her teeth instead. However, the pain that shoots up her arms next does cause her to scream, and she tries to grip at them. She is not able to, and she looks down to find that she cannot move them at all, which frightens her instantly.

A hand pats her head, and she turns her head up to find her father standing over her. He kneels down, smiling a little, and pulls out bandages, which he wraps around her arms. "You did very well," he says, "but you're still young. No one else in the Clan is to know that you know this jutsu yet."

"W-Why?" she asks, as he wraps up the blackening flesh.

"This jutsu is very dangerous, it would not please the elders if they knew you could use it. However, you must remember my daughter, you will not be able to use your hands or your lower arms for the next two weeks or more. You must hide this weakness from the others, which is why you will stay indoors until that time has past." He narrows his eyes, and expects to her nod, which she does. Pleased, he pats her head once more, and turns to leave. "Come."

"Y-Yes, father," she says, feeling sadness as it grips her chest tightly. She takes a step forward, but cannot seem to move for a brief moment. She frowns, and feels the sadness in her chest increase. She looks up to find that her father has stopped and turned to glare at her once more, and quickly lowers her head. Still, however, she cannot move, and wonders at the reason.

"I said come," her father growls, and is pleased when she finally steps forward a few times.

She shakes her head lightly, the sad little girl feeling the words from her father earlier as they crash over her once more. She still does not understand what has changed in her life, but she feels that something big has happened. With each step that she takes away from her once supposed friend's deathbed, she feels the sadness in her chest twist a little tighter. She looks up and catches sight of her father's back, for an instant wondering if he would allow her to hug him, but quickly dismisses the idea. Her father is not one for teary moments  _or_  physical contact, only improvement.

Finally she comes to a stop, and brings her stone-like hand up the best she can to cover the ache in her chest. She knows her heart lies underneath her fingertips, but she does not understand the reason for her sadness. She cannot find a reason for the twisting in her chest, and she does not understand why she would feel guilt for the little girl who betrayed _her_  first. Even as she bites her lip, feeling a bit of blood as it slides over her chin, she cannot find a reason why she should feel such an ache for someone who betrayed her.

" _That girl_ ," echoes into her head, " _is not your friend. I only wish to protect you, my daughter, so I watched her. What I saw was a little girl only trying to get closer to the head, hoping to be favored over the rest of the Clan. I found that she laughs behind your back about who you are… and causes the other children to laugh with her. She makes them think you're weak and will one day use you as her pathway to controlling the Clan herself. That girl is not to be trusted_."

Already, now that they have reentered their district, she feels the eyes on her. Even knowing that many are staring at her, she cannot make the words leave her be. Her father's words echo again and again, even as she tries to make them go away. She wants to escape them so badly.

A tear drops from her large blue eye. The path it makes glimmers in the sun, but no one seems to notice the pain she is going through. No, for she knows that their eyes are filled with anger and hatred toward her. Only if she is to turn her head toward them will they bow in respect and give her bright smiles or eyes filled with the respect they display toward her. She knows it is false, though, and she comes to understand at that moment something that she hasn't before.

She feels the need to grip the now red strands falling in front of her face. As she lowers her head, she realized something big, something that she hasn't ever realized before. At the age of six, such a young age, she is alone and hated. She is the daughter to their head, and though she has done nothing to them, they hate her because she can do something they cannot. The members of  _her_  Clan hate her because they do not understand her, and believe she will be nothing if they continue to hate her.

 _I am not nothing_ , she thinks.  _I will never be_ nothing _! I will prove to them what I am, what I can do._  Hatred bubbles underneath her skin, as laughter begins to echo into her mind. She does not know where it is coming from, but she likes the sound for a moment, is comforted by it, as she ignores the glares of her clansmen.  _I will, for I hate them more than they hate me_ …

… _I hate them all._

* * *

"Hey," a voice entered her ears. "Hey, wake up!"

Startled, Kagome sat up instantly, her hand gripping the arm of her the male leaning over her. Glaring deeply at him, her eyes took a moment to focus in the dark, and then she thrust the man away. "What do you  _want_ , Uchiha-san? Especially at this time of night?" she asked, panting a little.

Sasuke brushed his arm off, "It's not my fault you were nearly screaming in your sleep. First you were muttering 'Amaya', and then you started  _chanting_  'I hate them', over and over again. Excuse me for trying to figure out why." He rubbed at his arm a little, glaring at her.

Placing her head in her head, Kagome continued to pant, her eyes wide.  _Amaya… I am so sorry_. She remembered that little girl from earlier, and knew that the resemblance between her and her only true friend, the friend she'd killed because her father lied to her, had triggered her memories. She knew that was the reason, but she could not bring herself to blame the little girl for making it happen. She was only a child, after all, and had done nothing wrong by looking the way she did.

Seeing her grip the red strands in front of her eyes, Sasuke scowled. He turned on his heel and returned to his post by the window, having woken up to the sound of her muttering. He would need sleep, whether it was a good idea to sleep in the room with a woman who could kill him or not, there was no denying that, but she'd interrupted the somewhat pleasant dream he had been having. One that did not involve his brother, at least.

"It is none of your business why," she hissed under her breath. Then, louder, she asked, "Why do all of you try to pry into my life? It is mine to know, and mine alone."

Sasuke turned his head, "Temari and a few others might try because they want to become close to you. Another like the Hokage might try because she doesn't trust you. I did it because I was concerned for a second, but I'll know in the future not to be." He narrowed his eyes and smirked a little, "Another might try, though, because they feel like they can understand you and want to get close to you."

"Ha, ha," she laughed mockingly, "I'm becoming hysterical in my bed sheets."

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

The voice in her head muttered, " _Perhaps you wish to know because you wish to become close to one of them… to learn that emotion love. Or simply to mate?_ "

 _You're a disgusting idiot_.

" _I still think the Uchiha may have been very close_ ," the voice muttered.

 _Shut up. I do not need to listen to your stupid voice this late at night… or early in the morning._  She rubbed at her eyes, and then narrowed them when she realized she would not go back to sleep anytime soon. So, she threw back the sheets covering her, and stood quite quickly.

"Where do you think you're going?" Sasuke asked.

"The roof," she replied, smirking at him.

"The roof?" he asked.

"Yes, I believe that is what I just said, Uchiha-san," she nodded. "The  _roof_ , indeed."

"I'll come with you then," Sasuke said, standing.

"No, no," she said. "I do believe that Gaara-sama will be there. There is no need for two people to watch me. Besides, I believe a kage is more capable and more entertaining company than a simple jounin."

Sasuke scowled, watching as she moved to the door.

"I will make sure to return before the sun rises to wake you if you're sleeping, Uchiha-san," Kagome smiled a little, her eyes turning calm.

Sasuke scowled deeper, watching as she left. However, once she was gone, and her chakra signal disappeared down the hall, he moved outside the building through her window. As quickly as he could he moved as close to the roof as he could get without being on it, and then settled down. His eyes could easily see Gaara sitting in the moonlight, and not soon after the woman he was assigned to watch appeared on the roof and hesitantly took a seat beside him after he cast a brief glance toward her. Though his face had smoothed out on the trip up the building, he scowled once more when he realized he couldn't hear anything that they might say.

He nearly fell from the place he'd chosen when he heard, "Yes, I am quite aware that Uchiha-san has followed me up here, Gaara-sama," from her, as she stared up at the moon. Obviously she wanted him to hear her, but that was a bit much in his opinion. Then again, she didn't seem to think much of his opinion, so that was pretty much shot.

Not to mention it was annoying to see the smirk that settled onto Gaara's face after she said it.  _Stupid woman_. _Now I think I see why Naruto doesn't like you_.


	14. Thirteen

He sat silently, watching the glittering stars above his head as the wind picked up just a bit. His senses told him instantly when she touched the rooftop, her chakra signal clear as day. For a moment he wondered if she simply could not sleep again, but decided that it did not matter. As interesting as she was, there was truly no reason for him to be concerned for her health—even if it would stop him from observing her as he wished to. Besides, if she was forced to remain in bed because of an illness then he could easily watch over her, ignoring the questions that others would shoot at him for doing so, and gain something to cure him of his curiosity. She did not need to be well and he certainly did not care if she was.

Sand rattled in his gourd as she came closer, her presence pressing down upon him as it had when she'd first crossed the path of him and his siblings. The feeling that something was suddenly going to spring out of nowhere and take his life—it was unnerving, and he knew now that she was the cause. He had ignored it for the most part until now, but the way her chakra flared for a moment caused the sand within his gourd to rattle a bit more. Still, he pushed down the feeling more, knowing that if she did decide to attack him that he would be able to defend himself using the sand and crush her soon afterward within its golden depths.

However, the attack that part of him almost anticipated—whether it was because he felt she would be a worthy opponent or something else, he did not know—never came, and he relaxed just a bit. Not much, his guard was still up, but he did give her a small glance before she finally slid down next to him on the tiles, her left leg propped up for her hand to settle on. For a brief moment he once again wondered if she simply could not sleep, but decided that he should not wish to know, so he would not—

"The Uchiha woke me from a nightmare," she stated, almost like she had known what he was thinking. Gaara sent her another small glance, noticing instantly that she was gazing out across the land with a small hint of sadness in her eyes. He told himself not to care that she was sad, but he had to wonder what exactly she was dreaming of that had caught the Uchiha's attention. Especially one so bad that he woke her from it, since it did not seem like the thing the Uchiha would willingly do, no matter the circumstances.

Turning his eyes toward the direction she was gazing, he took note that she was staring off toward Lightning Country. Though there may be nothing to the fact that she chose that direction to stare in, he still took it into account. After all, the most he knew of her was that she was obsessed with blood, had a very deadly jutsu at her disposal, and her real features seemed to be hidden beneath a powerful Genjutsu. That and she had a quick tongue that she used on almost everyone that she thought did not deserve to be treated with respect.

Kagome turned her eyes and met his for a brief moment. "It was nothing, but it appears that I speak during my sleep," she smirked a bit. "But you already know that, don't you, Gaara-sama?"

"Hn," he replied.

Her eyes slid closed for a brief moment, before she opened them again, continuing to gaze in the same direction she had before. "He did not need to wake me," she said after a few moments of silence, "but it seems that my  _distress_  was too much for him to handle."

Turning his eyes just a bit when he recognized the Uchiha's chakra signal, he noticed that he had concealed himself in the shadows not far away, but far enough that he would not be able to hear what was said between them. It did not really matter to him, but some small piece of him tightened at the thought of Uchiha Sasuke following her day and night, even if it was under orders. Taking another brief glance at the woman at his side, he decided to direct her senses to the fact that the Uchiha was still continuing to follow her. "Are you aware that he has followed you here?" he asked softly.

She blinked, before turning her eyes up toward the stars. A small smirk tugged at her lips, as she finally moved her eyes to the Kazekage sitting beside her. He gave her an emotionless stare, but she could tell that he was curious as to what she would say. At last, after allowing him to sit long enough that he was probably sure she would say nothing, she allowed her tongue to drat out between her lips, her smirk growing a bit more. However, not wanting to yell in his ear, she turned her attention back to the moon overhead, loudly saying, "Yes, I am quite aware that Uchiha-san has followed me up here, Gaara-sama."

A smirk appeared on Gaara's lips, and he wondered what the Uchiha thought of her words. The slight amount of anger and annoyance he felt from the Uchiha was obvious, since the man did nothing to conceal it. However, it was amusing that she still tried to get under the skin of others, even when it was this late and the only people she had to direct her words at were himself or her  _lapdog_ , as she'd so kindly called him. The amusement that she continued to give him was the main reason that he allowed her to continue to enjoy his presence, so he was slightly happy that she continued to amuse him in some way.

"I told him that as Kazekage you would be more than enough to watch my every move, to stop me from destroying anything," she snorted. "It appears that he did not take my words to heart, but it does not matter. He may follow my every move if he so wishes, even without his precious Hokage's orders, and never will he find something to place against me."

" _What human in their right would take anything you say to heart?_ " echoed into her head. " _Within a matter of moments you could have their heads on a silver platter and not blink an eye. They're quite smart to not trust you._ "

 _I do not wish for this village to constantly come for my head,_  she growled.  _I will not kill these people simply because you wish me to._

" _Did I say I wished you to, stupid girl? I don't remember stating that._ "

 _Then you obviously cannot remember anything, since you cannot remember the time that you told me there was people in this village; people and blood. I believe those words were enough to tell me exactly what it was that you wished for me to do,_  she replied.  _But unluckily for you, I will not kill the people of this village. If I need to feed once more, I will leave this village as I did before._

" _Then you're even stupider than I first thought_ ," the voice laughed. " _Eventually you will not be able to control the killer intent you house, and you will not be able to find someone outside of this village to kill, and you will kill them. There is no way you can stop it_."

 _I won't let you or anyone else control me_ , she hissed.

" _We will see stupid little girl; we will see_ ," the voice continued to chuckle.

"Perhaps," he muttered. "Temari appears to be unlocking secrets behind the scrolls that you carried, though."

"The scrolls that I carried?" she repeated softly. "One, the largest was a summoning scroll, no matter how hard she tries she will not be able to summon the creatures that it allows me to. The second largest was a scroll that helps with healing; the third is also meant for medical purposes. The fourth scroll, no matter how hard she tries, Temari will never unlock the secrets behind. The last was blank, I have yet to find a purpose for it."

"What creature can you summon?" he asked. Not only was he curious, but he also knew that it was not a contract like the one that Jiraiya carried from looking at it with Tsunade; by asking, he would also be able to gain information on her. Perhaps then he would find what it was about her that amused him so, and finally he could move on with his life as he had since he'd battled with Naruto so many years ago. After all, she was a woman, and women by right were weaker than men, so he knew that it was not her physical skills that drew him to her—especially since he had never seen her fight. So, he was still curious as to what did draw him to her, and he was determined to find the reason.

She laughed lightly, her eyes hardening just a bit. "You will not fool me with your words, Gaara-sama. I will not leak that information simply because you wish to know it, or maybe because you wish to pass it on to the Hokage here. Whatever your reasons, I will not be fooled into giving away that information. Especially since I do not plan on staying here for the rest of my life—I plan to only stay until Hokage-sama deems it safe for me to have my items returned to me, then I shall leave."

"Your time here would most likely be shortened if you willingly gave the information Tsunade-sama wishes to know," he said. He did not completely understand her wish to keep such things secret. Perhaps it was because it had something to do with the Clan that she was no longer allowed to say she was apart of, or perhaps it was merely because of what it represented to her. Either way, the quickest way for her to have her items returned would be to give Tsunade the information she wished for, instead of holding onto the stubborn side she showed.

"That may be so," Kagome replied, "but then they would wish for me to prove my words true. I have no wish to waste chakra for their amusement, especially when I do not know whether I should look at this village as my ally or my enemy. The Hokage may wish to know that information all she wants, but I will not give it away when there is a slight possibility that this village would decide I am something that I am not, but they would believe so even if I gave them my word. I do not wish to try and test fate, nor do I wish to see how quickly the Hokage can give me a death sentence. I merely wish for my things returned and then I shall be on my way."

Her words were understandable from where she stood; an unknown that could possibly be viewed as some type of spy or enemy from a distant village, even if she'd cut all ties to them. True, the quickest way for her to have her things returned to her would be to give Tsunade the information she wanted, but there was truth behind her words. Not only would she have to waste chakra to prove her words true, Tsunade would most likely believe she could be lying, but then she could be seen as an enemy to the village. Giving away such information could end with her in the same position that not giving the information away could.

"I see no reason in giving away the information when the information itself might get my face plastered onto a poster that demands any shinobi of this village who sees my face to strike me dead," she muttered quietly. "Personally, at the moment, I like being alive."

"By keeping the information to yourself, however, you are stating that the information will end up with your death," Gaara replied. "That, in every right, gives Tsunade-sama more reason to search for the answers she seeks."

"She can look all she likes, she won't find it," Kagome told him, turning her face so that the shadows hid it completely from view.

"Why is that?" he asked softly.

"I am from far away," she smirked, returning her eyes to him. "I believe I've already told you that, though, haven't I?" Before he could speak again, she continued, "I truly am from far away, I lived within a village on the farthest edge of Lightning Country. I traveled this far because I had nothing else within that village that held my interest, and I doubt that anyone knows I am gone," a small secretive smirk pulled at her lips, "they most likely think I'm dead by now."

His eyes narrowed, happy with himself for being right on the significance of her glance earlier, but having noticed the slight tug of her lips. "Why would they believe you dead?" he asked, his voice demanding the answer even though the tone was rather emotionless.

"As I stated many times to the Hokage," she replied, "I am no longer able to hold my surname. I am no longer able to associate myself with him, nor am I truly allowed to let others know that I once was. They do not care, nor do believe the village does, what happens to me. By now, with how long it has been since I left that dreadful place, they have probably written me off as dead and would like to believe me as such." The hatred that leaked into her voice was easily noticed, even with her lie, for she could not hold in the contempt she felt for the fools she killed. She'd hated them for so long, every once in a while cutting one down, but it had never been enough. Then she'd decided that she had had enough, she would no longer allow them to breath, and so she killed them—she killed them all no matter the age, the rank, or how much they cried for her to spare them.

"Hn," passed his slightly parted lips. He could see the anger burning in her eyes; feel the rage that boiled within her body; the very hatred that leaked from her skin. For a brief moment in time he pondered what it was that caused her to hate them so much, but he decided that it was probably caused simply because they'd cut all ties with her. The hatred was most likely brought on by that fact, and the other emotions were most likely brought on by the fact that they did not care what happened to her, but he did not rule out the possibility that she was lying. He'd discussed it with Tsunade not long ago, and they both knew that though she seemed very sincere that she could just be very good at lying, thus pulling them away from the trail that she did not wish for them to tread upon.

What frustrated him, however, was the fact that she could be lying. She could be, which meant that she was putting up walls in order to drive them away from the truth, thus making her even more of a mystery than he'd originally thought possible. If she was lying, she was telling them something that though they might seem likely to believe, it was not the truth—therefore, he was not finding the answers that he wanted to cure him of his curiosity. Worse, she seemed—if she was lying—to be very determined to keep him away from the answers that he sought, which made him spend more time trying to figure out the puzzle she created. Time, which he knew he would eventually run out of, since he knew that Sunagakure would eventually need him. Plus the paperwork that he'd left behind would call for his attention sooner or later—not to mention the new paperwork that he was positive was beginning to pile up with his absence.

Finally, she sighed and stated very venomously, "Not that I care." The image of her foolish father, the man that had thought he could control her forever, flashed behind her eyes. She almost wished that she was not in this village at the moment, she almost wished that she was very far away, because then she could call upon the souls that she had trapped and she could kill them again. They deserved to die again, even if they would not feel it nor would they care. Though they were dead, the hatred that she still felt for them was very strong, and to her it seemed that the death she'd dealt them—the bloody, gruesome death—was too good for them.

They deserved a second one.

He decided not to point out the fact that she seemed to care quite a bit from her tone. She sounded much like she wanted to kill them, a tone that had rang in his ears from his vocals when he was younger. No longer did he feel the extreme killing intent, but that did not mean that he did not know what it felt like, or what another sounded like when they were close to doing such things. Once again, however, he merely 'hn'ed and allowed her to silently seethe anger, waiting to see whether she would give in to her emotions or calm herself on her own. He would stop her if she went on a rampage, but a part of him almost knew that he would not have to, and soon after he got that feeling she relaxed.

" _I told you_ ," the voice in her head droned. " _You cannot escape what will eventually happen. Especially not if you keep thinking that way, stupid girl_."

She twitched, but ignored the voice, determined that this time she would not respond to its stupid banter. After all, what reason did she have to listen to it? Besides, once she found the one messing with her head she'd kill them and that would be the end of it, there would be no loose ends, she would make sure of that. So, ignoring the voice completely, she turned to the man at her side, and asked, "Do you ever sleep?"

"I told you I have not slept in years unless forced to," he replied.

"But surely you sleep once in a while," she pressed. "I once knew someone who had insomnia, as you so obviously do, but though they constantly tried to make others believe they were fine, sleep normally helped them. So, I will ask once again. Do you ever sleep, Gaara-sama?"

"Is there a reason for the sudden interest?" he asked.

"I do not like silence very much," she said. She did not add that it was because when she was silent the stupid voice that had plagued her for years spoke up. It was normally silent during the times that she was listening to someone, or speaking, almost like it was listening to her conversation, waiting for a moment that it could easily butt in or degrade her in some way. She truly wished that she could find the idiot who had decided to fuck with her; she'd slit their throat faster than they could say good-bye. "And at the moment I cannot think of anything to ask, since I have already figured out how you always have sand on hand."

"Oh?" he almost chuckled a bit. However, knowing that the Uchiha was such a distance away, watching them silently, he forced down the urge to do so. Though it was not hard to figure out how he carried the sand, he had only trapped her with it once; thus he'd only showed her the sand he used once. Since he did not believe it was truly hard to figure out, it was rather easy to force down the urge to chuckle a bit.

"Yes, I doubt that you're trying to make a fashion statement by carrying that gourd around day and night," she scowled. "Though, you very well could be."

He scowled back at her. "I believe you're beginning to forget the question you originally presented," he said.

She smirked, staring straight into his eyes at this point in great stubbornness when she noticed he was beginning to glare at her. "I have not forgotten my original question. You do not need to bother yourself with that, Gaara-sama, since I can assure you that I have not nor will I forget that question," she smirked a little more. "However, I am beginning to believe that you're not very appreciative of my observation. Perhaps you are trying to make a fashion statement."

"Woman," he said, his voice beginning to gain a very nice edge. He could feel the sand react to his change of emotions, but pushed down the feeling, knowing that killing her would not solve anything. True, he might be able to completely ignore the fact that he was ever curious about her if she was dead, thus moving on and never thinking of her again. However, he did not think that Tsunade would like the fact that the woman had been killed at this moment, since it was clear she held suspicion, but a bit of curiosity about the woman's secrets as well. Not only that, but he knew nothing of her fighting abilities, and there may be a slight chance that she held something up her sleeve that could end in his death.

Her words, even though he'd known them, were very true. He should not underestimate his opponent, no matter the gender, which was why he would not underestimate her. He knew that the possibility of her having some type of special bloodline was slim, and he knew that her holding some type of jutsu that would easily counter his sand was slim, but there was a possibility that she might. Underestimating her could get him killed, and like her, he rather liked his life at the moment.

"I could react by calling you by gender as well, but I do not see the point behind such childish actions," she replied. Watching his eyes narrow a bit more, she said, "Fine, I will not bring attention to your clothing, though I do rather like it." She tilted her head slightly to the side, "I want not mind having something similar, though I believe I would make mine black, white, and red."

"I sleep when I feel the need for such," he said at last, trying to take her attention away from his clothing. She was staring at it with a rather fascinated look in her eye, proving to him that she was indeed female with the words she'd just spoken. It was something that he was more accustomed to hearing women speak of, no matter how dedicated they were to being a kunoichi. However, it was a little strange to have her possibility visioning herself in his clothing, and for a brief moment he could picture her standing in it as she beckoned him for a closer look. Not only that, but the image he saw included the black eyes and black rings he knew were hidden from everyone, making it a bit more… hauntingly beautiful.

"I see," she said. "That was the answer I expected, I do not see why you did not wish to answer the question in the first place. Perhaps," she said after a moment of thought, "you did not wish to answer because of the same reason I do not wish to answer the Hokage's questions?"

"No, I merely did not see the point behind answering," Gaara told her.

"Oh, so now you see the point?" she asked.

"No," he replied.

"Then why did you answer?" she growled a bit.

He said nothing.

"Well?" she asked.

He remained silent, turning his eyes up toward the moon that shone down upon them. Its new positioning told him that quite some time had passed since she'd arrived on the rooftop. However, that did not interest him nearly as much as the growl that echoed from her throat a moment later, sounding a lot like an angry dog. At that moment he realized that she did sort of remind him slightly of a dog, though not to the point that he'd call her such, but subtly. She often growled and snarled, she lifted her lip to show off her slightly longer canines, she sometimes sniffed lightly at the air, and she seemed to hear things coming before she saw them.

"If I insult you at this moment," she asked suddenly, "would I soon end up with a bounty for my head?"

"Perhaps," he stated.

She growled, "Damn you."

"Was that meant as an insult?" he asked.

Scowling, and not liking the fact that he continued to bait her, she turned completely from him. Her eyes sought out the one watching them and within the darkness she could make out his shape as he stared at her. Glaring at him, almost wishing that he would suddenly burst into flame spontaneously, she decided that she was beginning to feel a bit tired. There was a chance that if she returned to sleep she would once again return to the nightmare she'd had earlier, but at least within that nightmare she would not have to have a kage tug at the strings that made her tick. She did not wish to hurt him, but she did not wish to get to the point that she did wish to hurt him.

" _You know…"_

 _I do not wish to hear it_ , she instantly growled.

" _You did not even_ —" the voice sounded rather offended, but she did not give it a chance to continue.

 _I am not in the mood_ , she hissed back.

The voice chuckled a bit, but the growl underneath it was quite clear to her ears. " _So, the former vessel of Shukaku is beginning to penetrate your walls_?" it asked. " _It is simply amusing, since you do not seem to realize it yourself. Then again, all these years you have been seen as something not worth touching and now you have a former vessel, which is interested in you. It is not surprising that you're beginning to wish to_ —"

 _I told you, you were disgusting_ , she replied.

" _It will become clear to you sooner or later, stupid little girl_ ," the voice said. " _Then, it will be as obvious as the fact that you cannot deny your urges. After all, I doubt that on your deathbed you would be able to stop thinking about the one thing that has always caused your blood to pump_."

 _B-blood_ , she hissed softly, her eyes flashing a bit. She hatred herself for thinking of it once again, but could not help the fact that she stuttered as soon as she thought of it. Of the feel it gave her whenever she allowed her need to take over and finally slaughtered those who did not deserved what she so wanted for herself—what she needed in order to make the craving go away.

Noticing her breathing had changed for some reason, Gaara said, "Perhaps you should try to sleep once more this night?"

Kagome nodded, lowering her head until the shadows covered her face once more. Then, softly, she replied, "Yes, I should try to sleep once more this night." Silently she rose from her position beside him and like a ghost she seemed to drift away, the thought that past through her head still clear as day. She felt like she was being pushed at; almost as if something was pulling at her need, but she was determined to either ignore it or push it down to the point that she did not know it was there. She would not allow it to control her; she wouldn't.

Gaara narrowed his eyes from the slight breathlessness he'd heard in her voice, along with the slight longing. He did not know what had caused such to enter her voice, but he was not able to think on it for long before he felt the Uchiha's chakra signal distance itself once more, no doubt returning to her room. His eyes narrowed more, knowing that she'd turned her attention toward the Uchiha before the change had come into her voice. However, as he finally shut his eyes, he told himself that it was most likely nothing. There were a lot of things that could cause her voice to change like that; it was not necessarily the Uchiha who'd done it.

Still, even as he told himself that, he felt his chest twist a bit at the mere thought.


	15. Fourteen

He shifted again, trying to get feeling back into his legs as he waited. He was trying to be patient, he was, but he had never really gotten the point of sitting in one place when they _could_  actually make the mission much quicker if they moved and looked at the same time. However, after a few more moments of seeing nothing on the horizon toward the Land of Rice Fields, he pressed his fingers to the headset on his ear. "Do you see  _anything_?"

A small crackle came through the device before he heard a softly growling voice snap, "Naruto, there was nothing three minutes ago, do you really expect for Orochimaru to suddenly come bounding into view?"

"Well, no," Naruto muttered, cursing Kiba slightly under his breath. "Besides, I wasn't asking you, dog-boy, I was asking Neji."

"Then be more specific next time," Kiba responded, a slight snickering coming through afterward. Naruto knew it was most likely from Akamaru, but he could not help but scowl at the fact that he was probably being made fun of. That nin-dog had always had something against him—he was always out to get him since the chuunin exams. Besides that, he found it so unfair that he was constantly insulted—or he thought so—and he had  _no_  idea what that massive canine was  _saying_.

"There's nothing from my position, Naruto," came another response—the one that he wanted. However, Naruto sighed after hearing it, knowing that if any of them saw anything it would be Neji. His family's doujutsu was a very impressive technique, or he'd always thought so, since it pretty much  _everything_  within a range of fifty meters. He hadn't actually known that until Hinata told him so, but he still thought that it was awesome, even if he had learned of the sharingan first.

Twitching, Naruto asked, "Well, how long do you think we'll have to sit here?"

"Until the mission's been complete," Kiba's sarcasm reached him moments after he asked. Then, he continued, "Really, Naruto, do you expect for this mission to be easy?"

Again, Naruto heard the snickering in the background and scowled a bit deeper. "I just want to know how long I have to sit here, when I could be training and getting stronger at the village," he replied heatedly.

"Tsunade-sama wishes for us to confirm the rumor she heard," came Neji's voice, "we could very well be here for a few days." There was a small pause, "You'll have to be patient, Naruto, since it could take Orochimaru up to a week to actually move, or longer. Until someone comes to check on us, or relieve us of our positions we really have no choice but to continue our watch."

Naruto did not press the button in order to communicate with the others as he shifted again, saying, "Tsunade-baa-chan just had to give me such an easy mission." He almost thought for a moment that he'd rather be watching that annoying Kagome, he really didn't understand what her problem was. However, this did have its advantages compared to getting snapped at, his head nearly sliced off, and constantly trying to run around in order to locate her.

Glancing back at the clearing that Orochimaru would most likely come through if he were indeed heading toward Konohagakure, Naruto tipped his head slightly to one side. He wondered again why Kyuubi refused to speak to him, even whenever he managed to speak with him in  _person_ , simply muttering that he would have to figure out the puzzle himself. Not only that, but it was strange that his friend, Gaara, was showing such interest in that crazy woman. He thought for a while that it was because she was covered in blood when they had found her, Gaara  _had_  thought it was his purpose—and  _enjoyed_ —to kill people before they fought after all, but he did not think it was that simple anymore. He doubted that Gaara even noticed it, but he guessed he should be happy for his friend if he was happy, even if the woman gave him the creeps and a strange prickling sensation underneath his skin to attack her.

Shifting once more, feeling the branch he was one move slightly in the wind, Naruto allowed his thoughts to drift away from his current ones. He wondered what it was that Orochimaru could be coming for—besides to try to hurt Konohagakure or once again get Sasuke on his side. After all, he had been recovering for a long time in hiding since Sasuke had _killed_  him, but Kabuto had been foolish enough to take a part of him into his body, allowing Orochimaru to control him from what Hinata had explained. Orochimaru was a deadly opponent before; he had to wonder how much more he was now that he had Kabuto's combined strength, chakra, and jutsu, along with Kabuto's still intact ability to use his hands. He almost shuddered, but quickly told himself that Orochimaru wouldn't be able to beat them again, not with how much they had improved, and how many shinobi they had willing to defend their village.

Growing a little more impatient with his line of thoughts, Naruto pressed his fingers back to the headset. "Come on, there has to be something? I don't want to sit here for another seven days or more waiting!" he stated.

He expected Kiba to reply, but was surprised with Neji's voice came through. "Naruto, there isn't anything yet," Neji's voice trailed off. "Wait, I see something."

Kiba's voice came through next; "Yeah, Akamaru and I smell something foul in the air. It's not pleasant, and from what Akamaru and I remember, we think it might be Kabuto and Orochimaru's scents blending together."

Naruto frowned, "Do you think it's because of Kabuto's—"

"We're pretty sure, Naruto," Kiba's replied. "No need to remind us, especially not after the images we got after Hinata told us what that idiot did. Right, Akamaru?" There was barking that followed his statement, though it was low enough that a distant opponent would not hear it. However, it was quite clear, even though Naruto was not an Inuzuka, what Akamaru was most likely saying.

"Well, what do you see, Neji?" Naruto asked after a few moments.

Neji did not reply instantly, but after a few minutes Naruto heard the crackling in his ear again. "I think we should return to the village in order to speak with Tsunade-sama," he said.

"Wait," Naruto hissed, "what do you see?"

"Orochimaru," Neji's voice assaulted him after another moment. "And what looks to be about thirty to fifty shinobi, all of which look to be from Otogakure. I cannot be for sure at the moment; they are a bit out of my range to be able to tell if they all have the Otogakure emblem or another. Though, that woman in the front does not seem to be wearing a headband."

"Do you think she's some type of hostage?" Kiba asked. "Bait, maybe?"

"Doesn't look like it," Neji said. "She seems to be standing there of her own free will. However, there is something different about her compared to the rest of the shinobi surrounding him." Naruto could see them now appearing as small dots in the distance. "She holds herself differently, and seems to be arguing with him a bit."

Naruto suddenly asked, "Can you hear anything?"

"No," Neji replied instantly. "They're still too far away."

"Hold on," Kiba said. There was a short pause, and then he continued, "Akamaru can't hear much from the distance and the wind and everything, but he can hear a bit of what they're saying." There was then a bit of barking and growling that came through the device.

"Yeah?" Naruto pressed.

"Akamaru says they're talking about some woman," Kiba said after another small pause. "Something about wanting to give her a curse mark or kill her. A woman that is now rumored to be in Konohagakure, or nearby, but wasn't there before, from what they know."

"A woman?" Neji asked.

"Ah," Kiba paused again, "Akamaru says that it's definitely a woman they're talking about it. Apparently Orochimaru wants her as his… Hold on." Kiba growled and barked, and communicated in a way with Akamaru that only he could at the moment. "Orochimaru wants her because of her power, to become his controlled second in command, and the chick wants to get revenge for some reason. There's too much noise between the Otogakure shinobi speaking and the distance, Akamaru can't really get anything besides most of the woman's name."

"What is it?" Neji demanded.

"Hi—something, Kago—something. Akamaru can't hear it all that well cause they seem to lower their voices each time they say her name for some strange reason," Kiba replied. "However, he says that that's what they're saying, and it should be enough to figure out the full name."

Naruto's eyes widened, "Orochimaru's after Kagome!" The realization of the situation clicked into his head and he knew that they needed to return to the village as soon as possible. The fact that Orochimaru was after her meant that she had nothing to do with him, but did not mean that she wouldn't suddenly decide to join with him. There were a number of reasons why he could be after her, but the thing that stood out in his head had nothing to do with that. No, he was worried that Orochimaru would figure out that Gaara was interested in her, thus using that to his advantage, and the fact that Sasuke was assigned to watching over her. If the Sannin still wanted the sharingan, he wouldn't have to look far in order to find it, which put Sasuke in danger as well.

Kiba's voice soon responded, "Yeah, that's it!" Then he seemed to consider something for a moment, before asking, "Hey, wait. How did you know her name, Naruto?"

"There's no time to explain," Naruto quickly said. "We've got to get back to the village!"

Neji's voice came through soon after, "Naruto is correct. He can explain while we are heading back to the village. For now we need to return what we know to Tsunade-sama." There was a sound that was obviously Neji moving from his position, as he continued, "Best we be prepared for whatever it is that Orochimaru's going to try."

"Right!" Naruto replied. Then, he turned from the clearing, and with as much stealth as he could muster at the moment he raced away from the area. It would not be long before the others caught up with him, with Akamaru and Kiba's noses and Neji's eyes. However, his main concern was returning to the village and informing Tsunade that Orochimaru was after Kagome and it wouldn't take them that long to reach the village if they  _really_  wanted her. Not only that, but he was probably still after Sasuke.

There was no doubt in his mind that Orochimaru, if he was moving, had everything planned and would wish to get everything done as smoothly as he could. At least, if the Sannin knew anything about the woman that he was going after.

* * *

"How long have we been here?" Kankurou asked.

"About a week," Temari replied, "maybe a little longer."

Kankurou grimaced, "How much longer do you think we'll be here? I hate sitting around doing nothing."

"You just don't like it because there aren't any girls to look at right now," Temari huffed. She sometimes could not believe that she was related to Kankurou—actually, more than sometimes—and she felt at the moment that she would rather be related to three people with a similar personality of Gaara, Sasuke, and Naruto combined.

"That didn't answer  _my_  question," Kankurou scowled.

"Well, I don't know!" Temari snapped. "We'll be here as long as Gaara wants to stay, or you could probably hop back to the village if you wanted to. Maybe some rouge shinobi will pick you off halfway there and we won't have to worry about you anymore."

"What do you mean hop?" Kankurou asked. Temari was really starting to get at him, since he had asked the same question for about two days now, and she told him in the end to talk to Gaara, but his younger brother  _refused_  to speak with him. Whether it was because he was speaking with the Hokage, staring into the distance, or following the footsteps of that woman Temari saved, he downright refused to even acknowledge him while he was standing near him. Almost as if Gaara had decided he had better things to do as soon as he opened his mouth, which really pissed him off, since he was the elder sibling—but then his younger brother could argue that he was Kazekage and could do whatever in the hell he wanted to if he wanted to. Though, Gaara wouldn't use so many words.

"Hop, skip, prance about most of the way there," Temari mocked. "What do you think I mean, genius?"

"I hate you, Temari," Kankurou said.

"At the moment I don't care," she replied. "Gaara came by to talk with me—"

Kankurou twitched. He held up his hand and was slightly surprised when his older sister stopped speaking and looked at him expectantly. "Wait," he began, "he'll talk to  _you_ , but he refused to even acknowledge that  _I_  exist whenever I'm in the area?"

She gave him a stare that clearly told him his answer, before shaking her head. "Anyway, Kankurou, Gaara came by earlier. Apparently Kagome—you know, the woman we saved—told him a little bit about the scrolls that we found on her." She sighed at how wrong she had been about three of them, "He wants me to take her out for dango, or sake, or something in order to try and coax some more information on them out of her. I don't know why, but he really seems interested in her."

"Yeah," Kankurou said sourly. "That's just  _great_."

"Don't say that," Temari scowled. "It's good that he's starting to show interest in women. I mean, the most contact he ever had with a girl—besides myself—was with Matsuri, but even you know that she doesn't like him that way since she found out about her…" she trailed off, not wishing to relive it at the moment, "well, you know."

Kankurou smirked, "That was hilarious."

Temari forced down the urge to blush, and shook her head at her brother. She had thought it was great that Gaara was spending more time with a female figure that wasn't herself, even if she was supposed to be his student, but she did not think it was so great when the girl decided she wanted to show how much she liked  _her_. Seriously, she had liked the girl, but she did not like the fact that the girl had decided to come out of the closet in that fashion. Hell, she did not even like thinking about it, and Kankurou just liked to make it worse.

"Oh, come on," he teased. "You have to admit that you  _never_  saw that one coming?"

"No!" Temari snapped. "I did not see that coming. I thought that she had a thing for Gaara, even if he was her sensei, and that he was starting to like her back. I didn't think that she was—was secretly  _worshipping_  me behind my back!"

Kankurou gave a small, satisfied sigh, "Ah, good times, good times."

Temari twitched, "What does that mean?"

"Nothing," Kankurou said. "Why would it mean anything?"

"I don't know," Temari growled. "It was kind of odd that she decided to come out and  _tell_  me about her feelings  _that_  day. It was kind of odd that she just happened to seem so experienced, even though she was blushing the entire time. It was kind of odd that she whispered into my ear, 'you like that, don't you?' as if she wasn't quite sure, but thought so. And, not to mention the fact that you were laughing  _before_  she even said anything!"

"Your point?" Kankurou asked slowly, forcing down the lump that had formed in his throat. He saw the flames burst in Temari's eyes as she stared at him, and a bunch of alarms rang in his head to  _run_ , and run far. However, he stood his ground, and allowed her to take two threatening steps toward him before he took one back. The situation was not good—but the memory was still so freaking awesome that he couldn't help the small smile that tugged at his lips.

"YOU BASTARD!" Temari screamed. "She  _spoke_  with you, didn't she? You—you,  _agh_ …  _YOU_  told her to say that stuff, and  _you_  were the one that helped her come up with the stuff that she did after she backed me into that corner.  _You_ — ** _you_** …"

Kankurou bolted, knowing that since she could not seem to form a sentence anymore that he should get out of there. He heard Temari give a battle cry, and knew that she had most likely grabbed her fan in order to beat him into the ground as best she could. However, today was not a day that he wished to be beat into the ground, since he had decided that today would be the day that he would find out what was so special about that blood-covered chick that attracted his brother so much. When he heard Temari give another scream, though, he ran a little faster, knowing that he would need to outrun her—which wasn't the easiest thing to do when she was on a rampage.

Hopefully she would forget about this whole thing, though, and then he could go back to his happy life without brain damage. It was such a wonderful life; he did  _not_  need for Temari to ruin it instantaneously with a bash to his skull. Though, from the sounds he heard from behind him, things crashing and people rushing to get out of her way, he doubted that she was going to forget it very soon. And Kankurou was pretty positive that he would be nursing his throbbing head for the next few days.

* * *

She watched them closely, a scowl coming to her lips. She knew that she had not been this hard pressed to make sure nothing came between her and her love before, but this was completely different. It had been a rivalry between friends, even if Sakura had not wanted to admit it before, but it was a lot different now. That woman that Sasuke had been assigned to follow around as his mission was  _teasing_  her. She knew it when they walked by the flower shop, and the woman noticed her, only to walk slightly closer to Sasuke's side, while the Uchiha glanced at her oddly.

However, Ino felt her skin bristle as she thought about it. She knew that there was a possibility that someday a powerful, beautiful woman would come into Sasuke's life and she wouldn't win his heart, but that woman  _just_  was  _not_  right for him. She could almost feel it in her bones that somehow, someway, someone—and she was pretty sure it was Sasuke—was getting drawn into her web. Though, from what she had seen, it seemed that Gaara, the Kazekage of Sunagakure, was also being drawn into her venomous trap.

There was just  _something_  that was strange, almost completely abnormal about that woman. She could feel it; something about that woman was dangerous. She had almost thought about expressing her concerns to the Hokage, but she had figured that Tsunade would already have such suspicions. Someone as intelligent and powerful as their Hokage should instantly see that that woman was the type to draw handsome men from young girls, suck them dry, and then spit them back out—she was sure of it, and she usually wasn't very wrong about those types of women. But, she could not deny that there was that  _something_  about the woman that made her rethink her decision, since she was  _teasing_  her, but did not seem to actually be trying to follow through with her silent threat.

Ino sighed, and straightened up when the door opened with a jingle. She smiled at the woman who had walked in, a slight blush on her cheeks as she softly twiddled with her thumbs. Her thoughts flew straight to the task she had been given, as she smiled a little brighter. "Hello, Hinata. Is there anything I can help you with today?"

"U-um," Hinata smiled. "I j-just wanted to get a-a f-flower for—"

Ino smiled just a little more, cutting in, "For Naruto, right?"

Hinata darkened in the face, and instantly replied, "N-no! A-ab-absolutely not!"

Ino could see the flicker in the Hyuuga's eyes and knew that she had considered it for a moment. So, she nodded in understanding, and said, "Alright, I understand. May I help you find what it is you're looking for today?"

"Y-yes," Hinata said, hoping that her cheeks weren't completely red. She had managed to stop herself from blushing darkly whenever around Naruto, but she could not seem to stop herself from blushing darkly at the thought of buying him something. Or the mention of him whenever he wasn't in the room—or whenever his name managed to pop into a conversation without her meaning to. "I-I want to get something, um, simple f-for a new friend o-of mine."

"Oh?" Ino blinked. "Is it a boy?"

Hinata shook her head, another blush coating her cheeks.

"Hm, I might be able to help you a little better if you gave me a better description of what you would like to give this person," Ino said. "Do you want something that says friendship? Or maybe something that states similarity?"

"F-friendship will be fine, I-I'm sure," Hinata replied.

"I'll see what we have," Ino smiled. "Just wait right here for a moment, alright." Watching as Hinata nodded, she went in search of something that Hinata might like to give to her new friend. Of course, it might help a little to know how the woman acted, or if she even liked a certain flower, but she was sure that what she chose would be appropriate. So, within a short time she returned to the counter, and watched as Hinata gently touched the flower she had brought.

"I-I think she'll like it," Hinata smiled.

"It's ivy," Ino smiled. "It means friendship."

Hinata nodded, and paid for the flower. However, as she turned to leave, she was caught by Ino's question of who the flower was for. She smiled a little, and replied, "It's for a woman n-named Kagome." She left afterward, waving lightly to Ino, though she seemed slightly stunned behind the counter.

Ino, after Hinata had gone, frowned once more. That woman again, since she was sure that she had never heard of a person with that name actually being apart of the village, and Hinata had said it was a new friend. It appeared that she wasn't only poisoning the minds of men, Sasuke included, but also the minds of her friends. Temari, Hinata—both of them seemed to have not a big problem with her, which was obviously from how Temari spoke of her and the fact Hinata had just bought her a flower.

At that moment, Ino bit her lip and remembered the way the woman had  _looked_  at her. That fierce look in her eye had stunned her to the point that she had automatically called out to the strongest in her eyes for reassurance. The woman had called her pathetic, and downright spat in her face that she was weak, while that glare seemed to burn her from the inside out. That woman, Kagome, there was just  _something_  wrong with her, something that wasn't right, that made her different from other shinobi, and in the end she felt it was going to hurt someone.

She just hoped that she was wrong.

* * *

Out of the corner of her eye she glanced at the Uchiha sitting in the booth with them, before sighing gently. It could not be helped, since the male refused to sit even five feet from them. When she had tried to explain that she was trying to get information for Tsunade, he had simply stated that Kagome was dangerous and he was going to complete his mission even if she did not like his methods. And, Temari was rather annoyed with the fact that he had simply sat down next to Kagome, who gave him a small, curious look.

"So," Kagome finally said, "I take it that this outing has something to do with the scrolls I carried?"

Temari tensed, nearly dropping the teacup that she had raised toward her lips. "What makes you think that?" she asked.

Kagome's eyes flashed, before she glanced out the window to the small shop they sat within. "People," she began, "have never been the type to take those they do not know very well out to places such as these. Besides, those who are around me usually wish to know something, since they find offense in the way I treat them."

Sasuke gave a small snort, which earned him a snarl from the woman at his side. He glanced at her, and decided to ignore the blatant sign to shut his mouth. The woman acted like she was above everyone else, like she could control everyone with a flick of her finger, yet she had stated before that she was not raised to be a princess. He remembered, from long ago, when Team Kakashi had escorted a princess, and she acted very much like she had throughout most of the mission. Though, she had not continuously glare at him, or dug her fingers into anything so much that she managed to tear it open. He scowled; no doubt they were going to have to pay for that, and he knew that Kagome did not have any money.

Temari narrowed her eyes, wondering what the hidden meaning was behind those words. There was something that she had caught in Kagome's voice that signaled there was more than simply the way she treated people. In fact, if she were going to bet on anything, she would say that Kagome had never been to a place like this simply between friends. For the briefest of moments, that bet to herself almost made her wonder if she should begin to interrogate her, even if it was only going to be subtly. "You must not know many people," Temari said softly.

"I knew plenty of people," Kagome snorted. "It does not matter to me."

Frowning, Temari wondered if there would ever be a moment when she thought she had solved the puzzle that was Kagome. The key word she had placed into her sentence,  _knew_ , obviously pointed to either the fact that everyone she had known was dead, or refused to even acknowledge her existence, as she had been told happened between her and her Clan. However, from the indifference in her voice, it was quite clear that Kagome did not care, or had become very good at hiding the pain the knowledge caused her. "Well—"

"Why don't we just get this over with?" Sasuke asked, his head turning to the side.

"Must you speak?" Kagome asked.

Sasuke was about to retort, but noticed the way that she was glaring at him. Something from the dream the night before had changed the woman slightly, and she refused to even take the smallest of jokes that escaped his lips without snapping at him. She refused to even acknowledge him when she had reawakened, until Temari had come by, stating that she wanted to take Kagome somewhere, while muttering about 'idiotic brothers'. She  _refused_  to allow his words to process in her brain, even, since she had ignored everything he had said thus far.

"I want to know about the summoning scroll you carry," Temari stated bluntly. "I know that you don't want to talk about it, that you think that you are safer by keeping the information to yourself. However, I only want to know what you can summon, and I won't ask you anything else about it."

Kagome eyed her for a moment, a fierce look crossing her eyes before she smirked. The tilt on her lips was predatorily, and promised a cruel torture should she set her anger upon a single individual. "Dogs," she stated at last.

"Dogs?" Temari asked, blinking in surprise. She had not expected Kagome to answer, but to merely tell her something about how she could not, would not, or ignore her. This new development was surprising, though she did not exactly know what to make of the look she was being given. That stare was so heated that she almost felt like if it could harm, it would burn straight through her skin.

"You said you would not ask anything about it again," Kagome chuckled. "Yet you have just asked me to confirm the information I've given you. Tell me, are you going to break your word, or are you merely wishing for me to fall into a well placed trap?"

Temari frowned again, wondering where this change had come from. "You're right," she said. "I won't ask again, but I do want to ask what purpose your medical scrolls are for. They may have something that could help both Konoha and Suna in their advancement."

"Not much," Kagome said, her smirk widening. "One merely patches up a nearly fatal wound, such as one to the stomach, by repairing all the tissues, organs, and the other vitals needed. Another simply helps in reducing pain. They are not the best seals, but they work so well that you are guaranteed a one hundred percent success and survival rate among the people you use the seal on."

Her eyes flashed again, while she held down the urge to grip her head. She felt something, something that caused her hair to stand slightly on end as she wondered where it was coming from. She normally did not feel such things, but knew that others felt it whenever she walked into their presence. This feeling, though, was coming from one direction, and she had the feeling that she was going to encounter a being that she did not wish to encounter again. No, not because she felt she could not defeat them, but because she was sure that the encounter would weaken her to the point that she would fall completely into her need—doing so would easily cause her to get a bounty for her head.

 _Tell me,_ she growled _, you seem to think you know more than I. Do you know where this feeling is coming from?_

" _I might_ ," the voice in her head chuckled. " _However, I do not believe I shall tell you, stupid girl. I find it amusing to finally watch you squirm a bit while wondering when an opponent nearly as powerful as you is about to strike_."

 _Nearly?_  She blinked in surprise, since the voice would not normally give away such valuable information. She had learned that over the years that it had spoken with her, since it liked to keep her in the dark on most of the thing it said to her, or insult her.  _What do you mean by nearly?_

" _You truly are stupid, aren't you? Surely you can figure out the meaning of 'nearly',_ " it mocked. " _But, I suppose if you can't, I might as well tell you this one time. The presence I feel is strong, very strong, but not as strong as I. You may not realize it, but with me by your side, nothing will stand in our way… not even Kyuubi_."

Her eyes narrowed a bit more, as she quietly muttered, "Kyuubi?"

Sasuke's head snapped toward her, wondering if that low word had been what he thought it was. His hand fisted, knowing that if that had been what she had said, and she was after his friend, he would do everything in his power to stop it from happening. However, her voice had been so low, he was not quite sure if what he had heard was what he thought it was. That was going to make things difficult, but he knew at that moment he would need to watch her and listen.

Slowly, thinking over the words, Kagome reached for her sake and gently brought the cup to her lips. An opponent that strong, even if they had no hope of defeating her, would be a nice challenge. However, she knew that she would need to watch herself, for the first wrong move could end with her killing everyone and everything within a hundred miles. Though, she smirked a bit into her glass, that thought was not exactly displeasing, since the sight of all that blood would be a sure way to stir her soul, and her lust for more.

As long as she was not killed, she would kill.

As long as she did not fall in battle, she would be the one that haunted the minds of others.

Her smirk grew, for she rather liked that idea. She had always liked it, since she had split her first drop of enemy blood so long ago. She had liked it since the time that she had picked off the selective few who got to close to family secrets or annoyed her. She had liked it, and she was sure that she would always like it—enjoy it more than even the greatest of jewels in the world. Of that she was sure, even when she had such an annoying voice in her head, a lapdog that followed her every move, and a shadow that plagued her thoughts recently.

There her thoughts paused, and she did not even notice Temari staring at her as she returned her gaze to the window. The Kazekage, Gaara, had a strange effect on her, one that she was not sure if she enjoyed or hated. She knew that his presence calmed her; his scent soothed her to the bone; and his hair and eyes seemed to drown her when they sucked her gaze in. She found that a few times she felt her breath hitch as she looked at him, her lust for blood drain away as she stood in his presence, and her thoughts continued to return to him at some point in time after she had met him.

And she wondered what it was about him that she found interesting.

"Kagome?" Temari asked.

"Yes?" Kagome asked softly, never turning her gaze away from the window. In fact, she felt that if she did,  _something_  might pass by without her notice—something that she wished to notice.

"Are you alright?" Temari said.

Taking another drink from her cup, the sake burning a path down her throat, Kagome replied, "Yes." There was no need for someone that might easily become her prey to know what she felt. That was one of the shinobi rules, to never show ones true feelings. The other woman might act nice now, but she had grown up with hostility thrown at her from all sides, she knew that at any moment everything could come crashing down.

In a way, she waited for that moment. She knew she did, but that was not what was important. No, for the ones that she wanted dead—even if they did not deserve only the gruesome deaths she gave them—were dead, and there was no need to wait for another to turn on her. There was no reason to expect them to secretly mock, insult, and question her existence behind her back; there was no reason for them to wish to kill her, yet smile and bow as she walked by; there was no reason for them to scream and shout that she was nothing but a monster as she killed them. No, for they were not the people she had killed, but that did not mean that she did not wait for them to turn out to be that way.

For she knew from experience that everyone else was always the same. They always wanted to hurt her, and no one would ever turn out differently. There was were no friends in the world, she knew that, which made her question her own sanity at secretly wishing, yet a tiny bit, that she had one person in the world to call her own. Her friend and companion—but she didn't, so she didn't  _care_ , and that made everything so much easier.

Especially once she killed them.


	16. Fifteen

She considered it a curious feeling.

Frowning, she returned her eyes to the stand of clothing in front of her, wondering again why Temari had decided to drag her to this place. A women's clothing store—she had never desired, nor wished, to enter one. She had left behind the  _pretty_  kimonos and the  _elegant_  pieces of clothing that had once been considered hers, and she did not wish to wear something so annoyingly revealing again. Yet she stood there, fingering a long black jacket, the image of a tall, red-headed male wearing one quite similar to it coming to mind. And, all the while, she knew that she had eyes staring at her from the window, the obsidian pair waiting for her to slip even an inch, and the other, from inside the store, were sharp and waiting for a clue to her past and secrets.

However, even if she refused to budge on information, and even if she refused to show weakness to that blasted Uchiha, she was still shown an ounce of kindness. Temari insisted on buying her something when she had realized that she had been wearing the same outfit, and possibly for even longer than she knew. It did not bother her to wear the same thing, even when it was caked in blood, but the Sunagakure kunoichi insisted that they use Gaara's money in order to get her something else to wear. Something about a woman not having to wear the same thing over and over again if she was not going on missions, and not really doing anything except sleeping and wandering about each day.

To be shown such kindness, even if it was given for other reasons, was not something that she was used to receiving. So, she wondered at the feeling that formed in her chest, and wondered if she had, perhaps, felt the feeling before. For a moment she almost thought she had, whether it was before she realized how utterly alone she was within those who had called themselves kin, or after she was not entirely sure, though. Her father had always done such ridiculous things in order to keep her from going outside of his control, so it was hard to decide whether or not she had truly had this feeling thrust upon her at any given moment.

She glanced up when Temari suddenly appeared, pulling the jacket from the rack that it was situated on and held it up. Then, she watched as the other kunoichi grinned and nodded, saying something about how it would look fantastic with something else she had seen. She was not even able to question what that thing was before the kunoichi was gone, searching through the racks of clothing for whatever it was she wished to find. However, she hoped that whatever it was, it did not come in any light color—she hated the idea of wearing such a thing.

Temari returned shortly afterward, holding up what she had found. "What do you think?" she asked. She was not sure what the woman would like to wear, but she supposed that anything would do quite well. However, she had watched her and heard things, so she assumed that anything dark in color was the best, which was what she had chosen. Then, when Kagome did not speak, she continued, "You can be truthful. If you don't like it, say so, and I'll put it back."

"It is… adequate," she replied, before turning away.

Temari grinned, "Good. I'll buy it then."

Kagome gave a short nod, uncaring if the woman bought it or not. The emotion in her chest had been overridden by the feeling of something powerful heading toward her once again. She had yet to convince the annoying fool who spoke to her through her mind to tell her what was coming, but she supposed that it would not matter either way. She would find out, and when she did, she would have some fun before she ripped the life away from the thing that sent a small shiver down her spine. After all, she did not like it whenever those around her affected her so greatly, which once again caused her to question her own sanity.

She allowed Gaara to live—and though his rank as Kazekage was a very good excuse, she knew that was not the reason she allowed him to keep his life. He affected her in a strange way, one curious enough that she allowed it to continue. True, he was quite handsome, and the pleasure of watching him was enough to quench any female's thoughts, but she had seen many who held beauty—some more than he. No, that was also not the reason she let him live, so she supposed that it was the feeling that washed over her each time he was within the area. The feeling that anything could happen, but she would remain calm and at peace—that feeling, one she had never felt before, was certainly enough to keep him alive.

Then, after a short moment, she shook those thoughts from her head. The redhead filled her thoughts too much lately, almost as if her mind had decided to wrap around him and keep him. She would have snorted at the very idea, but she could not deny that he often filled her mind whenever she did not wish him to occupy it. He was unlike anything she had encountered, though she had seen many others with similar traits, and she could not help but wonder  _what_  it was that drew her attention toward him. The question roamed through her thoughts quite a bit lately, as well, because it was ultimate question that she wanted answered at this moment, but knew that she could not threaten to slit another's throat for it.

No, she knew that that answer had to come from herself.

" _Tsk, tsk, stupid little girl._ "

Another sigh escaped her lips as Temari returned to show her the set of pants she had chosen. She nodded, eyeing the large amount of pockets that she could easily store weapons in. However, noticed that the other woman had eyed her for a moment when the small amount of air escaped her lungs. The thought of anyone knowing of that one annoying person to stay out of her reach for so many years was almost shameful. Many had called her a monster, and they were correct to assume such, but the tales she had always heard spoke of the monster killing all who stood in its path—those who did not please, or angered it. The voice was an annoyance, and she would torture the one who continued to mess with her head should she ever find them.

" _Thinking about mating, when you should be focusing on the opponent that shall soon appear."_  The voice laughed for a short moment, before sneering, _"How very_  human _of you_."

 _Shut up_.

" _What's the matter little one?_ " the voice asked innocently. " _Afraid to admit that you are human? That you have needs? That you wish to fuck your pretty little redhead until you collapse from exhaustion? Please, whatever it is, tell me, and I might be able to help you_."

She scowled.  _You are not interested in_  helping  _me in anything. Your only goal in life is to torment me with your constant presence_.

" _You're avoiding the subject_ , princess."

She almost snorted. She knew that her body was attracted to the Kazekage, but she was not a fool. She knew that doing such things was dangerous, for not only could she find herself emotionally attached—which was laughable in itself—but she could find herself spilling secrets should he ask for them. No, she was not stubborn enough at this point to deny that she wished to lay with him, but she would not, and that was truly what mattered. There were so many possibilities—so many things that could go wrong—should she decide to travel down that path, so she would not, end of story.

" _Oh, don't be that way, stupid girl. Perhaps rutting with your redhead will clear your thoughts on why you're so interested in him_." It snickered, lust trickling into its voice, " _Or, perhaps you will finally let me out. Yes, what a wonderful thought that is. Fuck the boy, let us see if that will be enough for you to let me out_."

 _I will not lay with Gaara, no matter how many times you tell me to, insolent moron_ , she hissed.

" _No need to be so defensive, girl. I do not care if you decide to breed with the former vessel of Shukaku or not. I will find a way out, and once I am, I will make sure that you do not see the light of day for quite some time_ ," the voice growled.

She snarled,  _I do not know what your game is, but no one will restrain me_.

" _Laughable. You want to know why?_ "

 _Why?_  Kagome snarled.

" _Because, though you try so hard to deny it, you're being restrained from killing your precious Kazekage. By yourself, even_." It snorted, " _Perhaps it is also time for you to stop being such a hypocrite_."

She had had enough. She snarled and hissed, blocking the voice from her mind as she focused onto other thoughts. However, she could hear the distant laughing in her ears as Temari returned, the clothing in bags hanging from her arms. Though annoying, she refused to acknowledge the distant sound for even a moment with the other woman now standing next to her, saying something about changing into the items now, and having her current clothing washed for another day. And, she nodded so that she would have another excuse to ignore the fool who had managed to elude even her senses for so long.

* * *

Sasuke pushed himself away from the wall that he had been leaning on, and glanced at the two women as they finally left the shop. His eyebrow lifted when he noticed that Temari was smiling and signaling toward the work that she had done on her companion. He snorted, since he was never one for fashion, but he did suppose that the long jacket went well with the rest of the clothing, and her personality. And it would be nice not to have to wonder where the blood patches on her pervious wear came from, since he had often wondered whether her pervious pair of pants had been red in color, or from blood.

She had gotten herself covered in it twice that he knew of, it could go either way.

Temari sighed when the Uchiha dismissed them, turning his head in the other direction. She had thought that her work would at least catch his eye a little, but she supposed if she wanted that, she should have pulled out a tighter shirt for Kagome to wear. After all, the Uchiha's genin sensei had been Hatake Kakashi, and there were plenty of things that that jounin could have passed on to his students. Despite that, however, she had thought that he would at least stare a little, since Kagome  _was_  a very attractive woman, even if she did give off bad signals a lot.

Turning her head, Temari watched as Kagome pulled lightly at the edges of the jacket she now wore. She was not blind, she had seen the way she had admired the material, and she had decided that it would go well with the black shirt and silver pants. In fact, it truly was the only thing that seemed very different from her pervious outfit, since the pants were just a little longer—not to mention a different color—, and the other woman had removed the silver fishnet over her shirt. However, the sash around her waist, the bandaging she had redone around her legs, the gloves, and the black shirt looked identical to what she had worn not ten minutes ago.

"Temari!"

She glanced up, groaning when she noticed that Kankurou was rushing toward her. Along with him, at a much slower pace, was Gaara. However, though she knew that Gaara was showing interest in the woman at her side, she had to wonder what they wanted. Kankurou  _looked_  like it was an emergency, but he often looked that way, so it really was not something for her to go off of.

"There you are! We've been looking everywhere for you!" Kankurou huffed.

"What do you want, Kankurou?" Temari scowled.

"Well,  _we_  simply could not wait to see  _you_ ," Kankurou started, motioning with his eyes toward his younger brother. "So, when  _you_  did not show up,  _we_  decided that it might be best to come look for  _you_."

Temari smirked, noticing that Gaara was scowling at them both. "I see," she replied. She could not pass up the opportunity to poke fun at her youngest brother, since it was not often that she was able to. This was just the thing she had been waiting for, though she had not expected it would turn out this way when she had first checked her female companion's pulse.

"Hn."

"Gaara-sama," Kagome returned the greeting.

Gaara turned his eyes away from his smirking siblings, cursing them for realizing that he was curious about the woman Temari had saved. He had given the information he had obtained to Tsunade, and discussed it with her, but still the mystery around the woman hung like a thick fog. His curiosity was not waning, but rising with each new piece of information, and he hated that now his siblings knew of how much he was clinging to each piece. Analyzing them to the point that they seemed to swim through his thoughts while she was not there.

His eyes landed on Kagome, and he tensed for a moment.

Temari's smirk became a bit bigger when she noticed that Gaara's eyes were quickly drawn to Kagome's clothing—or, more importantly, her body. She knew how reluctant her youngest brother was to have a relationship, or even think about having one, because of the way he had been seen before he rose to be Kazekage. But, she was glad to know that he was showing interest in a female, since he  _had_  only spent time with Matsuri, and the girl was not one for males apparently.

His mind roamed back to when she had mentioned that she liked his clothing. Gaara was not able to help himself, for he felt himself growing a bit hot as he stared at the black material clinging to her flesh. He had not tried, nor wanted to, envision her within his clothing since the time she had brought up his  _fashion statement_. However, the clothing that she was wearing was so very similar, so very close to being the same that his eyes roamed over it. He could easily replace it with the one that he was wearing, and see her smirk slowly, beckoning him closer. And damn it, his body heated a bit more at the thought.

Gaara jerked himself away from those thoughts the next instant. He turned his head, noticing that Temari looked ready to throw her head back and laugh in triumph, Kankurou was smiling in understanding, and Sasuke had risen an eyebrow at him. He refused to return his gaze to her, not when that image was so clear in his head. "Hn."

A snicker broke through her thoughts, and she cursed under her breath.

" _It would seem that Shukaku's former vessel wants to fuck you, as well_."

 _Damn it_ , she hissed.

" _Oh, little one, I thought you would be happy about that. It means that you have a better chance of rutting with him_ ," the voice laughed.

 _Disgusting fool, leave me be!_  Kagome roared, forcing herself to block out the voice once more. The distant laughing could be heard once more, but she was glad that the annoying voice was no longer whispering so easily. She was in control—she was  _always_  in control—and no one was going to get the upper hand when it came to her. However, the words the voice had spoken before she managed to thrust it into the background once more were swarming in her head, and she cursed it for telling her such things.

Her eyes shifted toward the Kazekage, noticing the way that his eyes were turned anywhere but her. Her breathing picked up just a bit, feeling satisfaction shiver down her spine when she realized that the words  _had_  been true. He refused to acknowledge her now, trying to force away the feeling coursing through his body no doubt, and there was that delectable scent that now mingled with his own. God, she could bath her senses in it forever and never tire of it, which made him even more dangerous toward her.

A growl spilled from her throat, causing the others to glance in her direction. Damn it, though, she had no weaknesses, and she would be damned if she developed one now. She would not lust after the Kazekage— _never_. She would get rid of these insane thoughts, and remove the interest that she had in him. She would, for she had faced many challenges and conquered them all. This one would be no different, and once she had cured herself of this damnable feeling of right, she would continue forth and erase his image from her mind.

The Kazekage was nothing!

Suddenly, she turned on her heel and began to walk away. Her stride became long, hurried, until she was certain that only the Uchiha was following her at a quick pace. Then, when she was positive that she had created distance between herself and the one who caused such things to torment her, she came to an abrupt halt. Her head turned only slightly, watching as the Uchiha landed beside her with a scowl. She knew his mission well, watch her every movement, so she did not sneer at him the way she wanted to. No, instead she ignored him, turning her eyes up toward the small park at her left.

"You ran out of there pretty fast," Sasuke commented. "Almost like you suddenly realized something and decided to get away from it before it could overwhelm you."

She snarled at him, and then walked forward a bit more. "Do not try to make it seem that you know anything about me, Uchiha," she hissed. Her mind was spinning, confusion filling in the spaces that she could not hold onto for long. At that moment she hated the Uchiha more than she hated anything, and if she did not care about her current peace—being unmarked for death—she would have killed him.

The laughter filled her head once more, making her anger spiral a bit higher. " _That it's, stupid girl. Let me out_."

"You're making it rather obvious, aren't you?" Sasuke frowned.

She growled, "Shut up, Uchiha. You know nothing of what I feel."

" _Blood…_ "

Sasuke tensed at the rise in chakra he felt coming from her. It was bordering on a bloodthirsty level, and he was ready for the moment that she would finally snap. He had considered that she was a jinchuuriki, and he knew that the Kazekage had as well. The bloodlust he felt at that moment, rising higher and higher, was unlike anything he had felt since the time he had fought against Naruto while he was using Kyuubi's chakra. There was no doubt in his mind anymore, this woman contained something inside of her, and he was not sure how well the village would fair should this unknown unleash it.

Kagome tensed up, before she shook her head, and stomped forward. However, she was surprised when she noticed that a young girl was standing in front of her. Confusion filled her mind, and she stopped—everything stopped at that moment, as those innocent eyes stared up at her. Her body relaxed, though she scowled down at the little girl standing in front of her, wondering what it was about her that suddenly calmed her the way Gaara was able to.

The girl frowned lightly, "You look very sad and lonely."

She blinked, confused with the girl's actions. Then, she watched as the young girl reached out and took her hand in her own. The action confused her even more, since children were usually afraid of her for several reasons, but she did not try to retract the appendage. No, instead she gave the girl a confused look, and replied, "Wh _at_?"

"Rin said," the girl giggled, "that you look very lonely. Lost."

Sasuke frowned, allowing his body to relax. The woman in front of him no longer looked or felt ready to kill, but was merely staring down at the girl in front of her. She appeared confused, and he had to wonder what her experience with children had been like before. However, she looked like she was taking it in stride.

The girl nodded, "A lonely and sad beauty."

"I do not know what you speak of," Kagome huffed. She turned her head away from the little girl—Rin, apparently her name was. "I need no one."

Rin smiled a little, and then nodded again. "Yes, very alone. But, you're getting better now, aren't you? I can tell because you're hanging around other people, and your clothing smells a little like another person."

She was perplexed with this girl's behavior. One look at her and the girl seemed to think she knew everything about her. Well, she would be damned if a young child managed to figure out more than she wanted anyone else to.

A small frown appeared onto Rin's face once more, and she stroked the hand within hers. "You've been alone for a very long time," she whispered, "and you're used to being alone. But, you don't need to be alone anymore. No, Rin is here now, and Rin will be your friend, pretty lady."

Sasuke glanced between them, realizing that there was a very confused look in Kagome's eye. That suggested that either she was still confused with the actions the girl was taking, or that the information she was giving out—however little it seemed—was correct. Then again, it could be a combination of both. But, Sasuke decided to ignore this for the moment, deciding that it was best to watch and wait for that to come forth. "Who are you?" he asked the girl instead.

Rin looked up at the man beside the woman in front of her. She smiled, tilting her head a bit to the side. "Rin's name is Rin. Rin's surname is Aoki, though," she replied.

"Uchiha Sasuke," he nodded.

Rin looked up, and asked, "What's your name, pretty lady?"

She frowned, before saying, "You may call me Kagome."

"Kagome," Rin tested it, before clucking her tongue. "Kagome has a very pretty name. Rin likes it."

She said nothing.

Rin was not deterred, though. She smiled a bit more, and tugged at the woman's hand, "You'll come play with Rin, won't you, Kagome-chan? No one else is here, so you won't have to worry about too many people around you. And, Rin will make sure that those who do come leave you alone, since Rin understands that you do not trust many people, and don't like to try."

Once again, Kagome huffed, "I don't know where you're getting this, girl. Besides, where is your mother? Your father? Why are you out here alone? Do you not know that it's dangerous, even when there are shinobi willing to protect a civilian?"

"Rin's glad that Kagome-chan worries, but you don't have to," Rin smiled. "Rin's brother Kohaku will be coming soon, and Rin's ok. Besides, Rin wants to become a kunoichi, like Kagome-chan, so Rin must learn to defend herself sooner or later."

"Why do you refer to yourself in third person?" Kagome asked, curious.

"Rin has always spoken this way. Rin's daddy tried to make Rin stop once, but Rin didn't want to. Besides, it makes Rin's brother Kohaku laugh, and Rin likes it whenever he laughs. Kohaku is the best brother in the world, but Rin's daddy makes Kohaku try too hard. That's why Rin wants to be a kunoichi like Kagome-chan, because then Rin will be able to protect him, and he won't have to try so hard," Rin grinned. "That is Rin's dream."

"It—" her tongue caught in her throat. Then, she forced out, "It is a good dream."

Rin nodded, grinning wider. "Come on, Kagome-chan, come play with Rin."

"I don't think—"

Rin tugged at her hand again, "Come play with Rin! Please, Kagome-chan."

Sasuke watched as the girl tugged the older woman up the slope to the small park. Then, he watched as the girl giggled and tugged her over toward the swings, insisting that they push each other. He did not understand what had happened, but he moved up the small slope so that he could watch and wait. After all, this was something new that he could report to Tsunade, and that girl had a strange way of knowing little things about Kagome.

His eyes sharpened, since he did not quite understand how this Aoki Rin was able to know, simply by looking, that Kagome had been alone. Her strange way of knowing would also be something that Tsunade might like to know about.


	17. Sixteen

"Are you sure its safe to let her do that?"

Sasuke glanced over at the Suna-nin once more, before snorting. "I would have put a stop to it if she had shown any hostility toward the girl," he stated.

"Besides, Kankurou," Temari muttered, "I doubt that she's going to hurt a little girl."

Kankurou scowled, "I'm starting to think that you like her, Temari. I mean, seriously, have you forgotten what she looked like when we found her? She was covered in blood, none of which was her own. You don't know anything about her except that she might like to get into fights—none of us do, she might get a kick out of killing little children."

"I know more about her than you do!" Temari hissed.

"That doesn't mean that you should be defending everything that she does!" Kankurou snapped. "She could be a serious threat, and not just to that little girl."

"As if I didn't know that!" Temari replied in a harsh tone. She was not sure what Kankurou had against Kagome, but he should realize that she was a good influence on Gaara's love life. Or, at least, she could end up being one. He was just thinking about himself, and how many ways he could die, instead of the happiness of his siblings.

"Then maybe you should try being a little more suspicious of the people you don't know," Kankurou continued. "That woman could end up killing you, Temari. But you keep giving her more credit than she needs—you don't know anything useful about her. Where she came from, what she's really like, or anything else that might give anyone a clue to her personality and talents."

"Shut up, Kankurou," Temari snapped back. "We'll probably be returning to Suna soon, and then you won't have to worry about it, alright. So, shut up and leave me alone until we go."

Kankurou huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. He then took a glance at the woman as she played with the young Konohagakure girl. The girl had somehow gotten her to push her on the swing, and though the woman looked slightly uncomfortable, she was pushing the girl higher and higher each time the girl asked her to. The woman looked out of place, unsure of what she should be doing; yet she put her foot down and continued to please the girl as she laughed and cheered. He was actually rather surprised, since he had learned from Temari, Gaara, and a few others about how she responded to others, so he was not expecting to find her playing with a little girl.

In fact, he had to wonder how it came about that she began playing with the girl in the first place. It had not taken them long to go after her once she ran—well, for Gaara to turn and follow, while Temari smiled and nudged him in order to make him acknowledge how strange his younger brother was acting once they started off after him. However, though the woman had managed to travel surprisingly fast—and far—without chakra, it had not taken them very long to pinpoint the spot where she had stopped and find her. So, how did it come about that she began to play with a young girl who was talking about one day being like her?

Kankurou snorted,  _I doubt that girl would like to be like her if she ever found out the amount of blood that's covered her body._

Temari watched as Kankurou frowned deeply, and shook her head at him. Kagome was not that bad, even if she did have a small problem with other people—especially groups from what it seemed. True, she seemed to have a small problem with avoiding large amounts of blood from being dumped onto her, but there could be a number of reasons for that—her Clan, for example, could have special customs about how to honor a fallen enemy. However, despite those flaws, she was a very intelligent and quick-witted woman, one that had caught the attention of their emotionally stunted brother, even.

Sasuke snorted, turning his head away as the blonde scowled deeply at her brother. His eyes traveled back to the woman as she followed the little girl, who had jumped from the swing, as she raced toward the jungle gym. She was shouting that she wanted to show her how good she was getting at her chakra control, and the woman appeared to be concerned for a moment when the girl climbed up on top of the metal bars rising from the ground. However, she did not move to stop the girl, which seemed to encourage the younger as she stepped steadily onto the thin beam, and then took a few steps forward. It appeared that the girl did have good control over her chakra, but he took a step forward when she almost slipped.

Then, like slow motion, the girl's chakra faltered, and she squeaked, as she was unbalanced. Sasuke almost moved in order to catch her, when Kagome appeared on top of the metal structure, her hand holding onto the girl's arm to steady her. She did not need chakra to hold herself there, and simply stared down at the girl as she smiled up at her with a wide grin, thanks spilling forth from her mouth.

* * *

"You should be more careful," Kagome scowled. "It is not safe to practice such without proper knowledge on how to control your chakra."

 

"But Kagome-chan caught Rin!" the girl cheered. "Rin did not need to worry, because Rin knew that Kagome-chan would catch her should Rin fall."

"You should not be so certain of things you do not know of, either," Kagome huffed. She released the girl's arm, and turned her head to the side. However, as she flicked her eyes over to the girl as she once again began walking across the thin bar, she realized that the girl did not care that she had dismissed her.

"Rin knew!" Rin yelled. "Kagome-chan is confused, but one day you'll see that Rin means it when Rin says she wants to be Kagome-chan's friend. Rin would do anything for Kagome-chan if it would make Kagome-chan happy. Just like Rin will do anything for Kohaku!"

"I have no need of such," Kagome snorted. She turned her head, allowing the words to echo and pound into the minds of those who could hear it. The girl might not understand, but that was merely because she was young. One day she would, and when that day came, she would find that the world was cruel and unforgiving, and the only thing that could truly be trusted was herself and the skill she had developed.

"Kagome-chan will see one day," Rin smiled. "Rin is merely doing what Rin believes is best, and that is giving Kagome-chan the best things in life—friendship and love. For that is what you need to be happy!"

"Foolish," Kagome muttered.

"On that day," Rin continued, "Kagome-chan will know what its like to be happy. And Rin will be happy that day, too, because Rin wants Kagome-chan to be happy. Rin wants everyone she cares for to be happy, so Rin will do everything she can in order to make sure it happens. Just like how Rin will make Kagome-chan see that she can be happy without hurting others."

She scowled, her eyes watching the girl as she continued with her small exercise. For a moment she almost wished that the girl's words could be true, but she knew that that was not what she needed to be happy. No, for she had often had eyes boring into her back with hatred, only for her to turn and find happy, oh so fake, eyes staring at her in greeting. She had often heard words of praise, those who were afraid and quivering for their own lives, spilling forth words that they thought would please her for a few hours—a few meaningless hours that might spare their life. She had felt despise press down upon her from all sides, even when she had been too young to truly understand.

No, she needed only what she had. Nothing, no  _one_ , could make her happier than she already was.

" _If you can consider that happy, stupid girl_."

She ignored the voice, turning instead to watch the girl as she continued to travel across the thin beam. Then, annoyed with herself for paying so much attention to one little girl, she turned her head toward the others that had followed her. Her eyes swept over the Uchiha watching her closely, obviously as curious as she was about Rin, and watched as Temari and Kankurou quickly turned their heads after glaring at one another. Her eyes settled then on the Kazekage, standing tall and proud in the dying light, his face shadowed and his hair appearing to be on fire. However, she knew that his eyes were watching her, and her own narrowed as she wondered what he was thinking.

" _Probably what it would be like should he breed with you_ ," a chuckle echoed into her head. " _Though, he might want to watch for that blade in his back should he decide to fulfill his lust with you. Shame there is no one to warn him._ "

_I will not have to worry about it._

" _Stop lying to yourself, stupid girl_ ," the voice hissed. " _You will not be able to hold your instincts down once you have had a taste. You might think you are unique, but in truth you are very much like me. You are far too curious—you_ will _try what you have long denied yourself with your little Kazekage, and then you will go running back for more._ "

 _You know nothing of me_ , she snarled.

" _Foolish for you to think such, especially when I have always been here,_ " the voice hissed. " _I will always be here, until the day you die. And sooner or later, just like how you will fuck your Kazekage, you will let me out. When that happens, it will be a while before you even know yourself._ "

 _Doubtful_ , Kagome replied.

A small tug pulled her away from her thoughts, and she twisted her head down in order to stare into the wide brown eyes staring up into her own. A smile blossomed onto the girl's lips the moment she connected them together, an eyebrow twitching upward in question. Her face remained neutral, even as she moved her eyes to the fingers gripping the edge of her sleeve, wondering why she had not stopped the contact before it happened. She was far too distracted, obviously—she blamed it on that blasted voice that would not leave her be.

"Kagome-chan, will you show Rin something?" Rin asked.

She frowned at the girl, wondering what in the world she could want. There were many things that she  _could_  show her, and many things that she would not. The girl could not know of anything she was skilled in, no one here could, and even if she had some strange ability that allowed her to, she would deny it. So, it was a rather broad question to ask, and the girl looked very hopeful for her to show her something. "You must be specific," she replied. "And even then—"

"Rin knows," Rin smiled. "Kagome-chan is like a shadow, hidden and deceitful of what you might hide. But, Rin does not want much, simply for you to show Rin something using these bars. Something for Rin to practice from seeing, so that maybe someday, Rin will be strong enough to do it herself."

"Anything?"

"Big or small," Rin grinned, showing her with her hands.

"Only once," Kagome stated. The girl smiled brightly, releasing her sleeve and waiting to see what she would do. In truth, she was not quite sure what she was going to do, since she had never been asked to show her skills for entertainment. A little thing, something that did not require the use of chakra, though the girl would no doubt use it when she first began to try.

Rin's eyes widened when Kagome knelt, her body shifting and then pushing upward in order to conquer gravity for a short while. Her eyes watched her twist in the air, sailing over her head and falling back down with her arms outstretched. Then, her fingers wrapped around a thin bar held tightly between the two that made up the main structure. Her arms bent, making the impact lighter, as her hair and jacket fell toward the ground, slipping between the bars and falling down toward the ground. Rin gave a cheer, as Kagome stared her in the eye, her arms straightening out as she moved her legs lightly in a walking motion.

Kagome almost rolled her eyes at the girl's excitement. It was a simple feat, something that she had mastered long ago, and did without really thinking about. However, an emotion swelled in her chest as the Rin cheered her on, waiting for her to continue. She did not understand it, nor did she ignore it, as she dropped toward the ground, and quickly pushed herself back into the air. A small twist to place herself back on her feet, and she landed neatly on a thin bar, her back to the girl. She then reached up to sweep her hand through her hair, returning it to its original state, before pulling at her jacket a single time to force it back into the proper position.

"You're amazing, Kagome-chan!"

She twisted her head around to the girl, and said, "I suggest you do not try that until you have mastered your control. And perhaps on something softer." She looked down at her gloves, flexing her hands a few times, for the sudden impact had shot a small amount of pain through her arm. However, it was a small thing, and easily ignored as she watched the girl smile brightly up at her. Besides, the pain was her own fault for having taken so long to bend her arms upon impact.

"Rin will be careful," the girl smiled brightly at the woman's back. "Because Rin would not want to make Kagome-chan sad."

Swinging her head around, her eyes caught sight of the girl's, wondering what she knew and how she knew it. The girl's pupils were stark white, but it appeared to be a trick of the light as the sun finally faded away until only the clouds reflected the few rays managing to swept toward the land. Kagome narrowed her eyes to slits, wondering what this girl could possibly be as she continued to smile at her. She was obviously of Konoha from the symbol on her back, and wanted to be a shinobi from what she said, but what  _else_  was she that she stated such things with such confidence.

As if she  _knew_  what she said would occur.

"Rin wants Kagome-chan to be happy forever!" Rin grinned. "Forever and ever!"

Again, she growled, "I have no need of such. I am a shinobi; my purpose is to complete the missions given to me without leaving any hint of what occurred behind. My life is of bloodshed and death. I have no time for happy endings or feelings that get in the way of my goal."

Rin's smile faded for a moment, and her eyes seemed to change once more. "Kagome-chan, you'll understand one day that you do not need to kill to be free—to be happy—to live life without being chained down or hated. You'll understand that there is a person who wants to be happy as much as you do, but only together can you truly achieve such a thing. But you, you have to make the first move."

She knew that the others had not heard the soft words that echoed in her ears after she spoke. However, it did not matter as her fingers twitched, wondering how much of her life this child knew. She was  _not_  normal, it was clearly shown in how quickly she had decided to attach herself to her—she was a killer, a shinobi, cold to the heart and bone. Now, though, that fact was made even more clear as the girl continued to speak such strange sayings, asking things of her that others never had or stating things as if they were facts.

"The world is not set in stone," Rin continued just as softly, "but you have to be the one to find your happiness. You have to listen and grasp onto what you  _really_  want. Rin knows, she has saw."

The words caused more questions to spring into her mind. She searched the girl's face, noticing the hard expression that had covered her eyes for the faintest of seconds, before it was gone, and the sweet girl with the somewhat loud voice was left behind. Kagome did not understand, but something told her that this girl knew more about her than she might herself. Things that were not in the present, but  _further_  in her life—the future that had yet to come. And for a tiny moment that sent a shiver of fear down her spine, for there was no telling what other strengths the girl behind her might be hiding.

No telling what secrets she might know of her—what she might be able to tell that blasted Hokage.

The threat was seen, and Kagome felt her fingers twitch again, ready to spring and end the life of the one that might become a threat to her existence. She would not die, in some way she would live on, but she would not take the chance. However, as she prepared herself to move, to destroy the girl before she managed to do so to her, she felt something strange in her chest twist painfully. That pain was what stopped her from moving, wondering why this girl would walk away from death by her hand, when it was clear that she could bring death down upon her.

Her name, so brightly spoken, echoed into her mind, the girl's voice clearly attached. The adoration in her eyes, even when it was clear that she had not known her for more than a few minutes after it was spoken, sprang forth like a beacon. And for some reason, the girl's smiling face was what stopped her from taking her life. It was not unlike how the Kazekage managed to stomp down her bloodlust when she had felt the need to kill something, but different in a small way. The girl's bright eyes and loving smile told her in some manner that she meant her no harm—she would not give away secrets that she had swimming in her head.

_Who is this girl?_

" _A Seer_ ," echoed back to her. For a moment she was amazed that she had received an answer from the voice, instead of a demand to be released or fuck the Kazekage. " _And it seems that you have become her new play-toy. It's actually rather amusing, since this is just showing how much more you are like me._ "

She snorted. There was nothing similar between her and the blasted voice that continued to haunt her mind. She was in control; it demanded that she give that up to it. She was strong, it was weak—it was shown by the fact that the one who wished to mess with her mind would not come out of hiding to meet their end.  _You are mistaken,_  she replied; _because there is nothing that could ever make me like_ you.

" _Stupid girl_ ," the voice growled. " _Soon enough you will see why I say such things, and at that moment you will see that you are merely an inferior,_ human _copy of myself._ "

The words could have made her laugh, but she was pulled away from the conversation with the annoying voice when she realized the girl was standing behind her. She mentally scowled at herself and the voice for having not realized how close the strange girl had gotten. However, her anger faded away when she felt the girl take ahold of her hand, her smile directed up at her softly. There was an emotion in her eyes, one that she had seen between people, but never directed at herself—love they called it. The emotion caused her to search the girl's eyes, noticing that her pupils had indeed changed to a stark white as she stared up at her.

"Rin wants Kagome-chan to be happy," Rin whispered once more, "because Kagome-chan has always been with Rin when she is lonely or scared. Kagome-chan gives Rin strength when she has none, and Kagome-chan has always shown Rin how to face any fear that she might have. Rin  _loves_  Kagome-chan, and does not want to see Kagome-chan alone or hated any more. Rin wants Kagome-chan to be happy."

A sensation built in her chest at that moment, as a set of tears washed over Rin's cheeks. Kagome pulled her hand away from the girl's and set it atop her head, offering her comfort for a single second. She was not sure what this girl had seen, what she knew of her, but her words struck a cord inside of her. She had seen her life and did not hate her as so many others had before she killed them for their ignorance. For that she deserved her respect, even if she was young and had a single dream to become a shinobi and protect her brother.

* * *

"What is happening up there?" Kankurou asked, confused by the sudden affection the woman was giving the girl standing next to her. It was hard to hear anything with the lapping of the wind over his ears, and the distance that they had set between them. However, to see a woman that he had seen covered in blood touching a young, impressionable girl with such a tender hand was  _not_  what he was expecting to see. It probably surprised him more than he believed anything else could have.

 

"Well, it looks like she's  _not_  hurting her," Temari replied sarcastically.

Kankurou turned to scowl at his elder sibling. "Shut up, Temari. I was only concerned, since we know next to nothing about her," he hissed.

"Maybe next time you should try putting your concern somewhere else," Temari glared back. Her stance shifted, and she smirked when her brother went to protect his privates. "After all, there's no telling how many women might want to get a piece of you  _after_  you try hitting on them."

"You're the one that got me drunk, Temari!" Kankurou shouted, his face turning red.

"And  _you're_  the one that turned Matsuri on me," Temari snapped. "It's only fair that I find a few ways to return the favor! Besides, I wasn't talking about that one incident, Kankurou! I was talking about the next one that I'm going to hit you with, bastard!"

Sasuke glared at them, turning his head just a bit in order to put the full force of his glare on them. Their yelling was drawing the attention of both females atop the jungle gym, stopping the conversation that he had hoped to catch a small piece of. However, it appeared that the world was against him; since the most he had heard while straining his ears against the wind was that the girl seemed to hold a lot of affection for a woman she had just met. That was a bit odd, but he had hoped that their conversation would continue enough to where he would have caught onto  _why_.

A single glance from their younger brother shut them both up, as his aqua colored eyes shifted over their forms for a single moment. Sasuke was almost grateful toward the Kazekage for having done so, but he returned his attention to where the woman had jumped from the bars, followed more slowly by the girl. Odd, but almost as soon as the girl hit the ground, she took the woman's hand into her own, smiling up at her as if they had connected in a way unknown to the outside world. Even odder, the woman he had seen kill without mercy allowed the act, taking a small glance at the girl before stepping forward with her hanging off her right side.

Also strange, Sasuke noticed, was that the wind had suddenly died down.

Gaara's thoughts were along the same lines, wondering at the strange shift in the wind. Suna was often hot and windy, but he had never experienced winds that increased and died the way they had since he had met the woman walking toward him. Wind was free and decided the path that the sand around Suna would take, but the wind he had experienced just a moment ago was not normal. And the strangeness of the wind was what caused him to search her body a bit more thoroughly for a moment with his eyes, wondering if the demon sealed inside her was a wind user like Shukaku.

A frown tugged at his lips, as he watched her move, her footing softer than he had remembered. Something had happened and was repeating itself in her mind, but for the life of him, he could not think of a single thing the blood-obsessed woman could be wondering about. She was a complex mess that continued to elude him, heightening his curious beyond what he had believed it could achieve within such a short amount of time—and never be stomped into the dirt, at least. However, whatever she was thinking of obviously dealt with what she had spoken of with the girl at her side, and he wondered what they could manage to pull from her.

This was something that he would need to discuss with Tsunade.

As they neared, Kagome finally turned her attention to the new attachment she had received. "Should you not be thinking of returning home? Even a village filled with shinobi is not an entirely safe place for a young girl," she stated. A part of her wanted to deny being concerned over the girl's wellbeing, but another part of her disagreed. This girl was truly the first person to show and tell her that she cared in a way that she had always seen between family members, and that part of her delighted in that information.

"But Rin is safe as long as she is with Kagome-chan, isn't she?"

The large brown eyes staring up at her innocently caused her to pause. All her life she had been alone, isolated even when so many related to her had surrounded her from all sides. Never had she had the responsibility of someone's life placed into her hands, because the fools had known all along that she had been the reason for the disappearance of their family members. Another gone, another set of eyes glaring heatedly into her back whenever she walked by, so the thought of them placing someone's life into her hands was laughable. Even the leader of their village had refused to give her anything that did not involve assassination or transporting simple things, such as merchandise.

But, despite that, this girl wanted to place her life willingly on her shoulders. She believed that no matter what, she would protect her. A part of her knew it, too, because it was screaming that this one little girl, who had somehow gotten underneath her skin so easily, was worth protecting. She deserved to have her strength to guide her, to keep her safe, when others only deserved to die beneath it. And, her mind whispered, she deserved it because she would most likely be the only person to ever know her and still care.

"Ye—"

" _Rin_!" a voice came from the right. "Rin, I've been looking everywhere for you!"

Rin's head turned swiftly, her eyes and smile brightening, as she spoke, "Kohaku!"

The brown haired boy raced forward, his eyes worried and suspicious of the elder shinobi surrounding the young girl within their group. However, fear gripped him when he realized that within the group was not only Uchiha Sasuke, remaining Uchiha within Konohagakure, but Subaku no Gaara, Sunagakure's Kazekage, and his siblings. He gulped quietly, his eyes watching them sharply, as he reached out for his sister's hand, "Rin."

Rin's smile faded, and she took a step forward, "It's ok, Kohaku. They won't hurt us. And if they tried, Kagome-chan would protect us. Wouldn't you, Kagome-chan?" She turned her head to the older woman, a smile blossoming back onto her lips.

Kohaku's mouth fell open at the name, his eyes snapping up toward the forbidding woman his sister was hanging from. Her deep blue eyes were staring down at him emotionlessly, and she made no move to answer his sister's question, but that did not deter Rin. However, he gulped even more noticeably as he stared up at the kunoichi, because he had always known Rin was special, but he had never guessed that what she  _saw_  was real. But, standing before him was the woman that Rin often spoke of, telling him about her accomplishments, her goals, her fearlessness, and how he should try to be more like her.

Staring at her, though, he was not quite sure if he wished to be anything like  _her_.

Gaara's eyes moved over the girl's face, and then up to Kagome's. Yes, this was something that Tsunade should know of before the night was over. And even if he had to track her down or wake her from sleep, she would know of it. After all, though it might seem cruel, there was no telling how much the girl hanging from the elder shinobi could be able to tell them of her. And, if she proved to know too much for one of her age, it might be best for the village if they investigated.

"Rin?" Kohaku whispered.

"There's no need to be scared, Kohaku," Rin pouted. "Rin and Kagome-chan are here. Rin will make sure you're safe, and Kagome-chan will make sure you're safe. There's nothing to be afraid of."

"Rin, I think its time to go home," Kohaku replied, straightening himself. It was ridiculous—his father would be ashame of him—to be afraid of shinobi that were obviously here to protect the village and its inhabitants. The woman might not be, but the others were meant to protect the village, and if she decided to be something other than a hero, as Rin often saw her as, they would be able to step in and protect them—though, he hissed at himself, he should have been able to protect Rin on  _his_ own.

"Kohaku?"

"Rin, father was not happy when you didn't show up before nightfall," Kohaku scowled. "And, if you don't want to get into trouble, I think it's best that we go now."

Rin blinked, and turned her head down. "But, Kagome-chan…" she then looked up at her, sadness forming in her eyes.

"I am perfectly capable of entertaining myself," Kagome stated. "I do not need for you to continue trying to do such. You may as well go home to your family, and stop worrying about what will happen to me."

"Rin understands," Rin said after a moment. Then, slowly, she smiled again up at the elder woman, before allowing her hand to slip from hers. "Rin will wait for our next meeting, because Rin knows that absence makes the heart grow fonder."

Kagome snorted. "The things you say are ridiculous."

Temari's eyes flickered toward her at the hint of fondness in her voice. Looking at her eyes, she doubted that the other kunoichi even realized she had done so.

"Come on, Rin," Kohaku demanded, grabbing hold of his sister's hand. He had always been tense while around other shinobi, but these high-powered chakra users were making his skin crawl. And he hated to admit it, but it was because he knew if any of them decided to become hostile that he would not be able to protect himself, let alone his defenseless sister. That was what making him even tenser than he normally was, and he wanted to get away from them.

Rin allowed herself to be pulled along, but she turned sideways in order to bring her hand up and wave back toward them. Her smile widened when she realized that Kagome's hand had lifted only a small amount, obviously giving her a silent farewell. "We'll see each other again real soon, Kagome-chan! Just let yourself follow your heart, and you'll find out that life isn't all that bad! There are things that can make you happy!" she shouted.

The voice chuckled inside her head, amused with the words that left the girl's mouth. " _That child obviously has not seen much. Otherwise she would know that your life is filled with blood, blood, and more blood as death marks your path. Such a shame, too, she seems so sure of herself._ "

"Oh," Rin's eyes brightened, "remember that  _he_  can't hurt you! He's apart of you now!"

And very faintly, as the girl waved back at her, she heard the voice growl in her mind.

" _Stupid child-Seer, what does she know about me?_ "


	18. Seventeen

A frown marks her face as her father pulls her forward, wondering at the smirk that has appeared onto his face. She knows that today is a special day, he has said so many times, but she does not know why exactly. And why is her father so happy? He is the head, and he has her, so she cannot think of another thing that might make his eyes sparkle the way they do when she does as he asks. He has everything he needs, he always tells her, so why is this day so special to him that he looks so happy?

"Don't look so upset," her father's voice breaks through her thoughts. "Today is a very special day, as you know. And soon those fools will realize how much control our family has over this Clan. All because of you, and you should know after this that it does not matter what they think, because you are  _better_  than them, my daughter."

A confused look spreads over her frown, as she blinked up at her father, towering over her with his impressive height. She opens her mouth to reply, but before she is able, he turns her toward a door. She has been taught not to speak when in large crowds, something about being protected because she is special. She likes being special, but sometimes she does not like being hidden underneath her father's watchful eyes—sometimes she wishes she could speak when she wanted. She feels she has the right, because as her father said, she  _is_ better.

So, as the door opens with her father's strong arm, she allows a smile to stretch out over her face. There is no need for her to worry so; she knows that, because she is special. She will prove to these people what her father wants her to prove, because she is a good little girl that loves being special. And if her father believes so, why would these others not believe so as well?

Her father's hand settles onto her head after he is acknowledged. She smiles a bit more at the attention; happy that he has not forgotten that she is standing at his side. Often times he does, but today is special—and if it is truly because of her, she has no doubt that he will not forget her today. No, never on a special day, though she still does not quite understand why her being there will make it so. But, her father is always right, and he always will be right, because he is the head of their Clan.

"Haruko-sama, your daughter appears to be developing nicely," an elder states.

"Of course," her father says. "She comes from a strong bloodline."

"Indeed," the elder frowns. "However, that is not why we have assembled here today. It is time that you allow us to evaluate just how strong that bloodline is in her veins."

"As you know," another says, "we will put her under a minor genjutsu and determine where her strengths will lay in the future. Do you have any objections to this method, Haruko-sama?"

"No," her father chuckles. "It has worked for many generations, and will continue to work in the future. Why on earth would you think I would wish to stop you?"

She glances up at him, knowing by his smile alone that he has become assumed. She smiles along with him, feeling his hand pat her head once more, as he turns his gaze onto her. She had been confused for a moment at what the adults around her were saying, but she knows from her father's smile that she will be fine. There is nothing that can harm her as long as she is under his watchful eye, because he is the strongest in their family—in their Clan.

"Many," a woman states, "think that our ways are barbaric. But, as you know, the best way to determine how powerful a blood-user will become is to test the strength of their mind at a young age. We were merely showing our own concern, since there have been times when children show signs of slight trauma after they have witness certain images."

"I am sure you will find my daughter is not like those children," her father smirks. "Her blood is strong—not just from the bloodline that courses through her veins, but from the abilities she is already showing. As we have discussed, she is showing signs of manipulating blood droplets whenever I test her myself. I am positive that her abilities will not stop there over the years."

"We certainly hope so, Haruko-sama," the first elder says. "After all, we need someone with a great state of mind to lead this Clan. Weakness is  _not_  something that should be shown in the child that will one day overtake your position."

Her father's smirk grows an inch more. "After this  _examination_ , I am absolutely positive you will find that my heir is more than capable of controlling those beneath her."

The elder's face twists into a slight sneer. He is clearly offended by the head's blunt response, but does not say anything more as he waves forth a young man. He nods to him, saying, "Takudo, you may begin the test whenever you are ready." However, he seems to think for a moment, and turns his head back toward the young girl and her father. "If, of course, you have no objections of the exanimation beginning, Haruko-sama."

Her father pushes her forward, saying, "Do as you will."

She turns her head upward, her eyes staring into the face of her cousin. She is slightly nervous, since she has not quite understood the long conversation between her father and those even older than he. However, she knows that to show her nervousness is a weakness, so she straightens her back and stares her cousin in the eye. He smiles at her silent assurance to herself—though, she knows he might think she was challenging him—and allows his hands to move in familiar patterns.

His eyes slip closed, as he changes his stance the tiniest amount. She looks away for a moment, noticing that the others sitting above her on their platform are staring down with bright eyes. She is almost happy again for a moment, since she knows that she is pleasing them, as well as her father, by doing this. She is special, after all, and she knows that she will make them proud. However, after that moment, she slips her eyes back toward her cousin, and watches as he stretches his arms out before him.

A thick atmosphere begins to fill the room, and she continues to watch, mesmerized, as his eyes open again. The room seems to shimmer for a moment, and images pass before her eyes in an instant. However, she blinks, confused as a sharp pain shoots through her head, and  _feels_  the images around her shatter. She is confused even after it happens, and turns her head a few times in wonder at where the bloodstained images have fled.

"Takudo," an elder draws their attention, "you  _may_  begin."

Takudo appears confused, almost as much as she feels. He turns toward the elder, and says, "I—I did."

Another speaks up, "What do you mean?"

Takudo blinks, his hand lifting to brush through his hair. "I performed the genjutsu as it has always been performed. I was going to begin by showing her a few people who's lives I have taken, and work onward until she felt like she was slitting their throats herself. But, the moment I began, the genjutsu…  _shattered_ —almost like someone had canceled it out."

Confusion fills the air, as the elders glance between each other. They have never heard of such a thing, and the confusion runs on high, as they finally settle their eyes onto her. She blinks at them, wondering at the strange look now entering their eyes. She is not quite sure what she has done wrong, but she feels that she has done something that was not supposed to happen.

"Perhaps you did not believe me when I mentioned how strong her blood is?" her father asks.

An elder speaks up, "Takudo, if a minor genjutsu will not work, evaluate her with a stronger one. She might be strong of mind, enough so to break through a minor illusion, but I doubt that she will not succumb to a stronger one."

"But she is only a child," another pipes up.

"Yes," the first continues, "but she is the heir. It should have been expected that she would not fall for such a minor genjutsu. After all, it is in our blood to bring deception and to avoid it whenever it is thrown at us."

The others are quick to agree.

"Takudo," the command is given.

"Of course," he replies. He turns his vision back onto her, and she allows herself a moment to examine the strange look in his eyes. He appears to be confused, but there is something else in his eye that causes her to shudder a bit. She does not understand why, but she knows that there are those in her Clan that she should never trust—her father has told her so. And the look he is giving her tells her that she should never trust  _this_  cousin, because something is not right with him.

His hands move again, and she realizes that some of the characters his hands form are different than the last time. However, she is not given much time to prepare herself, as his eyes pin her own with a glare. The area around her shifts again, this time the air begins to grow cold, and she thinks she can see her breath for a moment in a dark room. Almost an instant later blood flies before her eyes, silver gleams in the background, but as soon as she sees it, it disappears.

Once more the room returns to normal, and she blinks, shaking her head a bit.

Takudo stumbles backward, his head shaking, as if he is trying to dispel an image he has seen. He breathes a bit harder, before he turns his eyes back onto her. She does not know what is wrong with him, but she has a feeling that she has had something to do with it. Though she believes so, she is not given much time to think about it, as he begins to create signs with his hands once more.

"Takudo?" an elder asks, stunned.

He is quick to finish the sequence of symbols, before he glares intensely at her. His body flickers before her vision, before she feels something cold press against her neck. Her breath catches in her throat, as her eyes turn upward to see him standing over her, breathing heavily. She is not worried about him, but the image that is forming behind him. Large black eyes gaze down at her, and before she feels the room  _shatter_ , she hears her cousin scream. She  _feels_  his blood splatter over her cheeks and nose.

She stumbles back a little when she returns to the room with the others. Her eyes turn when she realizes she can still hear screaming, only to see her cousin wriggling on the floor. He is holding his head, his eyes wide and crazy, while he continues to let loose that horrified sound. The feeling of his blood spreading over her face did not bother her, but she is a bit bothered as he screams more and more. She does not know why he is screaming, she does not understand, and she glances upward when she feels her father's hand land onto her head.

He looks utterly pleased, but she does not even know why this would please him. She knows she has done nothing, or she thinks she has done nothing, so she does not know why he is pleased. She has never seen another person in their Clan please him, and a bit of jealousy forms in her chest. So, even though she has been trained not to speak until spoken to, she asks, "Father?"

He turns to smile at her, "Yes?"

She blinks, since she has expected him to scowl and hit her. However, she is happy that he has decided to acknowledge her when she is the most confused. "Father, why do you look so happy?" she questions him.

"Because, my daughter, you have proven just how strong the blood pumping through our veins is," he explains. He pats her head for good measure, but she smiles when she hears his answer. She is young, and she wishes nothing more than to gain approval from the only parent she has. She turns that smile toward the elders, wondering if they wish to praise her too, but she finds them staring at her with dark, guarded eyes. She does not know why they are looking at her like that, but she smiles anyway, glad that she has at least made her father happy.

"Haruko-sama," an elder demands, "we would like to have a word with you— _alone_."

"I do not see why not," her father chuckles, before he tells her to wait outside. She quickly does as he asks, happy to please at the moment. She smiles the entire time, and hopes that she will be able to please her father, as much as she obviously has today, again.

* * *

 _Sometimes I wish I were wrong_ , Tsunade thought. It was the middle of the night; the sun would be rising in only a few short hours, yet they had come to tell her that her suspicion was correct. The rumor of Orochimaru's movement had not been false. The knowledge made her settle her face into her hand, cradling it there as she contemplated her next move. It was obvious that Orochimaru had come to try and destroy the village that cast him out once more, so she was not left with many options.

"Tsunade-baa-chan," Naruto spoke up.

"What?" Tsunade growled. As if she did not have enough problems. That blasted  _boy_  had to continue to call her by that blasted title, even though she had made it  _quite_  clear  _many_ times that she hated it. Naruto was dear to her, that was true, but why did he never give her a break?

Naruto blinked at her tone, "I just thought you'd like to know what Orochimaru was after."

Tsunade glanced up, her eyes narrowing. She  _knew_  what Orochimaru was after, did she not? Or had he suddenly decided that he did not want to destroy Konohagakure or capture Uchiha Sasuke? What other evil plot could that evil, evil man have hidden up his sleeve? "Well," she said after a moment of thought, "spit it out already, Naruto. I don't have all night to play silly games with you."

"Kiba heard them talking about Kagome!" Naruto reported. "They were arguing over whether they were going to kill her or use her!"

Tsunade straightened her back. Orochimaru was after a young woman she had suspected to be a possible threat? It would not end well for them if he managed to get his hands onto her, since Tsunade was not entirely certain that girl was telling her the entire truth. She had thought about bringing Ibiki in to question her, but since she had not proven to be a large problem, yet, she had left her be. Now, though, she was wondering at her own sanity, because the girl might decide to walk right into her enemy's hand.

Kiba rolled his eyes, "Neji saw a woman alongside Orochimaru as if she was trying to show she was also in charge. So, Akamaru tried to pinpoint their voices and found that the woman wishes for revenge against her, while Orochimaru wants to use her for his own gain. He was not able to hear a lot of the conversation, but he understood that both of them want this Kagome woman to the point they're willing to destroy the village to get her."

"Damn," Tsunade chuckled darkly, "I knew that girl would be nothing but trouble."

Naruto scowled, "I could have told you that, Tsunade-baa-chan! But at the moment we need to think of a plan! We can't just let Orochimaru get his hands onto her, since I don't think he's going to allow the woman with him to kill her. I mean, that would destroy the whole purpose of him coming here for her!"

"Naruto," Tsunade's voice hushed him. "I know perfectly well I cannot allow Orochimaru to get his hands onto Kagome. One, I am still not quite positive whether she is not innocent or not. Two, I know nothing of her abilities, and I could be destroying this village just by letting Orochimaru touch her! Three, she killed nine Iwagakure shinobi using one jutsu! I am not stupid enough to simply hand her over!"

Naruto's eyes widened, "Nine Iwa-nin?"

Tsunade allowed her eyes to close, "Yes, Naruto. The day it was decided Sasuke would become her guard, she had managed to escape into the forest and kill nine shinobi from Iwagakure. They had gone undetected by the patrol, yet according to Sasuke, she headed toward them as if she knew they were there. She killed them all with a single jutsu that halted their movements and allowed her to summon jutsu without the use of hand seals. From what I was told, she killed them in ways that allowed the most blood to flow from the body."

Kyuubi whispered in the back of his mind, but his shock forced the fox's voice into the background. It figured that the damned fox would decide to speak with him when he was not willing to pay attention, but he really did not care after a moment. The wench was more dangerous than he had originally believed. Killing nine highly trained shinobi was  _not_  an easy task, but killing them all with a single jutsu that allowed one to control the actions of their opponents? Where the hell had she picked up such a technique?

"Holy crap, Tsunade-baa-chan!" Naruto shouted. "Why haven't you locked her up?!"

Tsunade scowled, "I cannot lock someone up when they  _helped_  the village, Naruto! Iwagakure shinobi do not come into Fire Country looking for a nice spot to have a picnic, but to find weaknesses in  _our_  defenses! Had they found anything, and she not killed them, we might very well have not only Orochimaru to deal with at the moment, but Iwagakure!"

"But she's dangerous!" he continued. His voice rose with each word, hoping to make Tsunade see reason. He had known from the moment he had first walked at that woman's side that she was deadly. He had complained about it enough that  _someone_  had to have heard him. Obviously that person had not been smart enough to pay attention to what he was saying, but he hoped that Tsunade would see the light.

"Yes," Tsunade growled. "However, if she proves herself and becomes loyal to Konohagakure, our village could grow, Naruto. I am not looking at the fact that she is dangerous, I know that, I am looking at the future she could provide to this village! I am looking out for the  _good_  of  _this_  village!"

Naruto blinked, since it was not often that Tsunade became so blunt with him. He had hoped that she would see things his way, but she was right. Konohagakure could grow with the knowledge that was held inside Kagome's head, and if she proved she would be loyal to them, why not allow her to push them forward? Hell, if she settled down and had children, they were sure to become loyal to the village, and provide Konohagakure with a new lineage. They  _would_  grow, and Tsunade could see that.

"Now is  _not_  the time to be discussing this," Tsunade huffed. "We have others things to deal with!"

Neji finally spoke up, "What are your orders, Tsunade-sama?"

"I want all available shinobi alerted and reported in to me by sunrise. You three will have to deal with the problem of finding them, waking them, and telling them. Make sure that they check in, and then I will send them out to help you. And I mean any and all shinobi; because I have no doubt that Orochimaru had shinobi hidden away in case of prying eyes. Once they have assembled, I will decide who goes and who stays to defend this village," Tsunade ordered.

Naruto asked, "Do you want me to inform Sasuke?"

Tsunade frowned, "Alert him to the problem, but tell him to continue watch over Kagome. I do not want her escaping this village again, because there is no telling the things Orochimaru will go to in order to get her. So, tell him to act normal and explain the best he can why most of the shinobi have left for the day. Do you understand, Naruto?"

Naruto nodded.

Tsunade looked up, "Neji, before you begin alerting available shinobi, go and tell Gaara that I wish to see him. I am sure that he will be more than willing to help us against the threat."

"Of course," Neji nodded.

"Go," Tsunade ordered. "Go now! I want  _all_  available shinobi here before sunrise, so you better get going and move fast!"

The three nodded, and disappeared in bursts of speed.

* * *

Her eyes shifted through the crowd from her post above the village streets. The Uchiha had chosen the place to retrieve breakfast, but afterward she had retreated to the rooftops. He stood behind her, but her eyes were focused on the area below and beyond her vision. She could still feel it—and had felt it throughout the morning since she awoke—the presence that sent tiny shivers down her spine was closer than before. She knew that the opponent coming toward the village she was currently being held within was not nearly powerful enough to defeat her, but the thought of knowing they were so close was exciting. The shivers that raced down her spine now were not of fear or anxiousness, but the thrill of knowing that soon she would be able to fill her need with superior blood.

However, as she cast her eyes over the village again, she began to notice the slight changes taking place. The Uchiha had done everything in his power to keep her away from the Hokage Tower since she awoke, but she was not blind. She had seen many and sensed many more shinobi visiting and retreating from the Hokage's office. Now, she saw that the number of them within a crowd had become more condensed, as if they were on high alert and waiting to defend those around them. It was not surprising that the Hokage would be commanding such a thing, but the presences that she did not sense, that she recognized, were distant.

Kagome placed her chin into her hand, shifting herself a bit more in her position. Her years as a shinobi easily told her that those who were no longer within the village, that felt distant now, were off to battle. Her lips pulled into a frown at the thought, since she had hoped to confront the presence she felt before anyone else had a clue of what was happening. In fact, she was slightly surprised that the Hokage had even noticed the presence, since she and her lapdogs had missed the presence of Iwagakure shinobi, an obvious enemy to Konohagakure. She supposed, though, that it could be because of the high sense of alert she had always had that warned her to the presence before the Hokage managed to find it.

Or, she supposed, the Hokage had not noticed it because it was familiar to her. She might had simply passed it by without as much as a thought, before finally realizing when it was nearly too late. Though, Kagome  _also_  supposed that that would not have been such a bad thing. At least then she would not have to go to the person, but fight them once they came to her— _and_  if she destroyed a few more people along the way, she could say that it was merely because they were in the way at the wrong moment. Surely the Hokage would not be opposed to that fact, since it was best when two powerful shinobi were fighting to get  _out_  of the way. Building and objects could easily be restored, but a life was easily taken if a person did not protect it well.

Her eyes flickered back toward the Uchiha when he gave a small, almost unnoticed sigh. Her sense of hearing and sight had always been tested and trained, however, and the sound did not go unnoticed by her. She almost snorted, since she could bet that even without the constant training she put her body through, she could easily defeat a highly advanced shinobi through natural skills alone. After all, her father had always praised her about it, but those who had glared heatedly at her back had always spoken softly about the enhanced hearing her lineage gave to her.

A smirk crossed her face. She doubted that her lineage had been the reason for her enhanced hearing and sight; otherwise her father might have heard her coming to kill him. He had always felt so privileged to have such a wonderful, skilled, and deadly daughter, so he must have felt privileged to be the first one to die the day she killed everyone related to her by blood. Her smirk lightened a little, since that was not entirely true. She had slaughtered the shinobi, all those who were directly involved with the Clan, but at least a few civilians related to her must have survived—not all of them had lived within the district most of her Clan had and abided the traditions held.

" _Stupid girl_ ," the voice muttered. " _You continued to think about how lovely it was to finally have all of your kin dead, only_  now  _to think of those who might have survived?_ "

 _It is not as if civilians could oppose me_ , she snorted back.

" _Oh?_ " the voice chuckled. " _But, what if, you missed just one little shinobi? What if one of your kin is still out there plotting to skin your hide, because they know it was you who killed everyone? What if they come to get you?_ "

 _They will die_ , Kagome replied.  _If they are so weak that I missed their chakra signature when searching for any survivors, they are not strong enough to defeat me. If they decide to try, I will simply be given another body to add to the pile I created._

The voice grew lustful, " _Oh… blood…_ "

A shiver racked down her spine at the word. It was very unlikely that she had missed even one shinobi, since she had been positive that with the upcoming festival her father had ordered for no missions to be taken. It was the perfect time to strike, since it was the only time that every shinobi of her Clan gathered together in celebration. It was the only time that they all came to be in one spot, drawn together like cattle that would soon be slaughtered. However, if one shinobi, even one, had managed to avoid the chaos and death that she had brought upon them that day, it would only mean she would have a reason to bring more pain to them. Those fools deserved to be thrown into the pits of hell, and she  _would_ be willing to show them a small piece from her own style.

None of the worthless souls she had taken deserved to live and prosper. Any who had had luck on their side and managed to escape had best remain in hiding, because their soul was even more worthless than the others. If they had run, instead of staying in order to die with their friends, family, and comrades, they were worse than the scum she had wiped from the world. They would deserve to be tortured far longer than she had tortured even one of the shinobi she had slain that night. They would deserve to know that they did not have a chance at survival—that their fate had been sealed long before they decided to once again show their despicable face.

* * *

"Tsunade-sama, that's the last of them," Shizune muttered.

"Good," Tsunade frowned.

"What do we do now?" Shizune asked.

"We will remain here for now," Tsunade sighed in irritation. "Gaara will be commanding the shinobi for now, and if Orochimaru manages to break through them, I will be needed here. I don't like the thought of waiting, but it is necessary at the moment. I must remain here in order to protect the village and come up with a new plan in case our current one fails."

Shizune nodded, "I understand."

Tsunade threw her head back, turning to the window. "I only wish that Gaara might have reconsidered, instead of following Naruto when the brat told him he would be delighted to serve underneath him for a few hours. I don't know what we're going to do if Orochimaru manages to break through the front line, since I doubt that blasted snake will leave such an opponent alive. Sunagakure might be our ally now, but I don't even want to think about what will happen if another Kazekage is lost because of events surrounding Konoha."

Shizune smiled a bit, "I'm sure that someone of Gaara-sama's caliber will manage to protect himself if the need arises. You shouldn't worry so much, Tsunade-sama. Orochimaru might have managed to damage Konohagakure before, but our shinobi are some of the finest in the five great nations. One of them will surely find a way to put an end to him."

"Hn," Tsunade replied. Her eyes were trained out the window; toward the area that she knew all the action would begin soon. She knew that she should not worry so much, she  _had_ sent most of her best, scattering them so that they were placed with those they worked well with. Hopefully, if Orochimaru managed to break through the first line, the second would be able to wear him and his shinobi enough that once he reached the village, he would make an easy target. "Even so, I fear what I might have to do if he manages to get this far."

"Tsunade-sama?" Shizune blinked.

A smirk tugged at her lips, "I don't like the idea much, but if Orochimaru is after that disrespectful girl, I might have to endure the thought of being in her debt."

Shizune frowned a bit, wondering if she was on the same page as Tsunade was. Surely she did not mean that she would ask the help of a shinobi they knew next to nothing about? However, from her words, Shizune could not think of another explanation to come up with. "Tsunade-sama, I don't think you'll have to be so rash."

"I'll only use her as a last resort," Tsunade declared. "But if word comes that Orochimaru has managed to reach the village, I want you to go look for Sasuke as quickly as you're able. If it comes down to that, I  _want_  Kagome in this office before Orochimaru has pinpointed her location. I want her here, because she is powerful, and even if I have to be in her debt for a while, I will do anything to keep this village out of Orochimaru's hands."

Shizune nodded, "I understand, Tsunade-sama. I will do everything in my power to do as you ask should word arrive that Orochimaru has entered the village."

Tsunade sighed, muttering, "Good. I hate having to think this way, but it will be better to have Kagome on our side than Orochimaru's, especially when we do not know what she is capable of."

Shizune nodded again. She did not speak as Tsunade was swept away into her thoughts, merely allowing herself to be pulled into hers. She understood where Tsunade stood, the decision between letting Orochimaru have what he wanted to leave the village in peace or using what he wanted against him to destroy him. After all, Shizune had felt the chakra the woman Kagome radiated, and she held no doubt that she was hiding a great deal of things. Power helped, but Kagome also had the element of surprise, since without her background or surname, it was impossible to determine her skills. That made her dangerous—far too dangerous to allow her to fall into Orochimaru's hands.

* * *

Naruto leaned forward, squinting a bit. He felt Gaara grab his arm, pulling him back into the shadow of the trees, but he wanted to know what that woman was doing. She had argued with Orochimaru for a short time and then stepped away from him, only to begin  _dancing_. She was taking soft, flexible steps, before she suddenly dropped to the ground. He blinked at the oddity of her movements, before he realized that she was beginning to go into a series of hand signs.

Her hands rose toward the sky, and Naruto glanced up to see what in the world she was reaching toward. His eyes widened a bit when he saw the storm clouds beginning to roll in far too quickly to be normal. He glanced back behind them, narrowing his eyes at the vast space of clear blue sky there. The roll of thunder brought his attention back to the woman, who continued to sit in her small space. However, he noticed that the circle she had danced in was beginning to fill with a soft, visible chakra, and he wondered at the reason for it.

Naruto almost jumped out of his skin when lightning tore through the air, striking the exact position the woman had been settled. His mouth fell open with surprise; though it was not the first time he had seen someone allow themselves to be struck by lightning. Flashbacks of the time he had fought with Raiga swam through his mind, before he realized the lightning was retracting back into the sky high above. His eyes searched for the woman and found her exactly as she was before, though when she rose she shivered a bit.

Flashes of light brought his attention to the sky once more, and he gulped with the realization that lightning was flashing wildly. There was nothing natural about it anymore. There was no thunder rolling, no rain falling, and no warning as each streak of lightning crossed the sky in a brilliant display of light. Merely lightning filling the dark series of storm clouds that had gathered. Naruto did not understand the need for such a thing, and he doubted he would even if he was a lightning user, since it did not appear the woman meant the display to be anything more than that.

It was almost like—Naruto narrowed his eyes—she had sent out a silent message.

Naruto was not given time to think about it, though, when Gaara gave the signal to begin. He did not rush out, while others flitted through the trees at his command, because he recognized the cackling of Orochimaru from the distance. The Sannin knew they were there, and he and many not given the assignment of attacking from behind stepped from the trees. They stepped into Orochimaru's vision, giving the Sannin a target to hit while the others got into position, but were surprised that the Sannin gave his men the signal to hold.

Naruto's eyes narrowed more.  _What are they waiting for?_

* * *

Sasuke noticed the lightning reflect in her eyes as she stared into the distance. His eyes narrowed, since he did not hear anything that would indicate a storm and the sky was perfectly clear above them. His first conclusion was a lightning user had joined Orochimaru's ranks, and it was the most logical conclusion, since the storm clouds forming over where the attack should be issued, the battle fought. He turned his head, staring in the direction Kagome had decided interested her.

There was just no way she would not know a battle was being fought. Anyone with half a brain would be able to figure it out as soon as the chakra signals began to flare up soon. Sasuke closed his eyes, almost wishing that he had not been given this mission, because at least then he would be out there helping defend his home.

That was his only mistake, taking his eyes off his target for a single second.

Sasuke jolted into action when he felt Kagome's chakra flare at his side. His eyes snapped open fast enough to see her take off, chakra fueling her speed to heights that made her almost disappear from his vision at certain angles when she moved. However, when he went into pursuit, his speed almost matched her own and his eyes never left her form even when she began climbing the wall surrounding the village. He hit it less than thirty seconds after she had, but her sudden start on him gave her the advantage as she went over the wall, using chakra to push herself as far as she was able into the forest.

"Damn it," Sasuke cursed. His goal had been to keep her in Konohagakure, but it appeared that the woman was stubborn and willing to risk him killing her to stop her. At the very thought, his hand slipped down into the holster at his side, pulling a kunai from the pouch. It settled perfectly into the palm of his hand, before he threw it to stop her forward movement. However, he was quite surprised that through the wind hitting them and the flare of chakra he had sent out she turned her head only slightly and dodged the weapon with ease.

He blinked again in surprise when she disappeared from his view, before he felt her charka somewhere off to the right. He turned his head, only to feel her move again, reappearing on the left side. It appeared that she was determined to use every trick up her sleeve to avoid him, but he wondered why she did not use her full speed. He knew she could travel much faster than him, she had proven it when she raced through the forest toward the Iwa-nin she had killed. Yet her speed did not match that now, and he filed it away for later as he pulled another weapon from his holster.

Then again, she had had a large head start that time.

And this time Sasuke was determined that she was not going to escape him.

He timed it perfectly, throwing the shuriken toward her. He almost smirked when she continued to run, the shuriken perfectly aimed to hit her when she past. However, the need to smirk disappeared when the exact moment the five weapons would have struck her, she jumped, bursting through the treetops performing a series of hand seals. He was quick to draw another few kunai, increasing his speed as much as he could, though he watched as a thin layer of chakra spread from her feet into the air. She used the newly formed platform like a springboard, thrusting herself directly into the air toward her destination.

Her speed was incredible, and she seemed to almost be flying until he realized she was losing altitude. He jumped through the treetops, chakra keeping him from slipping and falling to his possible death, flinging the weapons toward her. She surprised him again by barely turning her head, and doing a flip, snagging her foot onto the top of a tree. She used it to push her even further, propelling herself past the weapons, before she disappeared underneath the treetops once more. Sasuke was quick to follow.

He could sense the others now and cursed. He did not understand how this kunoichi had managed to outrun him, whether she had gotten a head start or not. For a brief moment he wondered if she had been like Lee, using weights to push herself to the point that she was stunningly quick. However, his sharingan and will had put an end to Lee's ability to outrun him for a short time, giving him incredible speed as well. But the way she moved, it was almost as if speed came naturally to her, as if the wind moved to help her in her quest. And if that was the case he knew he would not chase her down, because no doubt the  _wind_  would tell her if he was attacking or as well.

Her chakra flared a bit, and she disappeared, leaving a large amount of distance between them, as she reappeared some distance ahead of him. She did not seem concerned now that he would attack her, because she was taking the straightest, quickest line to the battlefield. Sasuke brought his hands together, determined to get one last shot at her before that happened. He was determined to immobilize her before she reached them and drag her ass back to the village so that Orochimaru could not get his hands on her, but as he went to blast her with a stream of fire, she dropped from the trees onto the forest floor.

Gritting his teeth, Sasuke realized that he had followed her all the way to the battleground. He cursed her once more, dropping down next to her when he realized she had actually waited for him.  _Such a stupid woman, I could easily take her now_ , he thought. However, there was no telling how many shinobi had already sensed them both, and Orochimaru was no doubt very delighted. If that snake felt them both leaving suddenly, he had no doubt that he would lead Orochimaru's whole pack of dogs back to Konohagakure.

"Are you done now, Uchiha-san?" she snickered.

Sasuke glared at her, watching as she moved away from him without as much a bat of the eye. He could feel how much chakra he had used, and he knew his breath was coming out a bit quicker than normal, yet she appeared perfectly fine. He filed this bit of information away for later as well, since he had no doubt Tsunade would like to hear all about this little run. In fact, he was beginning to think he might ask Tsunade to throw that blasted wench into a cell somewhere, because she was really starting to tick him off.

No one had ever surprised him so much in such a short amount of time. No one  _but_ —Sasuke paused in his thinking, because he refused to even utter that name now. Doing so only brought back bad memories and a need to kill a certain someone that had yet to die. And damn him for it, too, because Sasuke knew his eyesight was nearly gone, yet still he  _would not_  die.

He stepped forward, deciding that now was not the time for such things. He followed her like a shadow, watching as she brushed past the trees without even as much of a pause. She knew what she wanted, and she wanted to be in the line of fire it appeared. Sasuke watched, stepping out beside her and up onto the small hill that formed over one of the larger clearings in the forest. He glanced at her, seeing glee flash through her dark eyes for a moment, and turned to look where she was staring.

The woman at Orochimaru's side suddenly broke away from him, and Sasuke knew that even from the distance her eyes must be wild with hatred. She left nothing back when she screamed, her voice a pure snarl of hatred and malice that carried on the winds toward them. And in response, the lightning flashing above their heads flickered frantically, as if it could not wait to be called upon.

" _Higurashi Kagome!_ "


	19. Eighteen

"Ayame." Kagome chuckled, " _Higurashi Ayame_."

The woman snarled, shouting, "Do not speak as if we are kin, you bitch!"

"I am surprised that it is  _you_  that is alive," Kagome laughed. Her eyes darkened at the sight of her relative, delight coursing through her veins. Already blood splattered upon her memories, leaking down and making her anticipate the outcome of this little reunion. Her blood began to pump through her veins, telling her that her need had risen with the sight of her next victim.

Ayame hissed, "Yes, I am alive! But I'm going to make sure that  _you_  aren't as soon as possible!" Her hands moved into a simple hand sign, and she allowed her chakra to flare in order to perform her jutsu. Her eyes darkened a bit more, listening to the second crack of thunder that rolled over the land, before lightning lit the area much like a fire lit the darkness of the night.

Sasuke jumped away from Kagome's side the moment the lightning hit the ground, the ten thin streaks striking the area around her. His eyes narrowed when he realized that they had lifted away to reveal the clones that had been left behind. His eyes quickly took in the appearance of the other woman, since if they were related, as their surname suggested, they were radically different. The new woman's, Ayame, hair was red, her eyes were green, and the only thing that looked remotely the same about them was the pale skin they possessed. His eyes also took in the gleaming headbands around the woman's neck—they all contained a half circle mark that had three long lines extending from it, two shorter ones, and looked a lot like a sun.

The clones brandished their weapons, and one gave a battle cry before it rushed forward to attack Kagome in the center. However, it stumbled back in surprise when Kagome suddenly clapped her hands over her head, and lightning came rushing down from the sky to strike her. When it lifted away, she was gone, and the clones realized this even before it happened completely. They all turned on their heels and raced toward where the lightning was beginning to flash rapidly at a faster pace, which happened to be the center of the clearing.

Lightning extended from the sky again, hitting the ground and streaking away without so much as a crackle. Kagome stood where the lightning had retreated from, tiny sparks rolling off her shoulders and pulsing from her arms. She appeared completely unaffected by her little trip, as she smirked, "You should know better than to use that jutsu around other lightning users, Ayame. Anyone could take complete advantage of you, showing how stupid you actually are."

Ayame grit her teeth together, because she knew it was true. "Shut up," she shouted, as she dispelled the storm. "It might be a jutsu that any lightning user could use while it is active, but it is the best way to stake out a challenge against another. You  _know_  that, bitch."

Kagome turned her head slightly, and did not comment on the subject anymore. Her attention turned to the clone that had rushed out of the forest toward her. The fury of its eyes was wild, and she almost chuckled in glee, because anger could make even the weakest shinobi overcome their boundaries. However, as she twisted out of the clone's grasp, snagged its arm in her hand, and shoved the kunai it held into its own chest, she knew that Ayame would  _never_  win. She knew the abilities and limits of every shinobi that would have been underneath her rule, and Ayame was  _not_  one of the most powerful.

The clone gasped, but grinned before it popped out of existence. Small shocks of lightning traveled up Kagome's arm, before she turned to intercept the next clone that challenged her. Using the lightning to her advantage, though she knew the first clone's objective had been to allow a second close to her, she forced her hand through the clone's body. It ceased to exist long before her hand extended out of its back, but the satisfaction of knowing another piece of wasted chakra had been destroyed rushed through her system. They were low-level clones and she was surprised that Ayame was stupid enough to even  _think_  about using them against her—she was not even wasting energy killing them.

Taking a small step forward, Kagome grinned when she realized two more were already coming to try and kill her. It seemed they had realized that it would take more than simple taijutsu to defeat her. However, as they raced forward from opposite directions, she did nothing to move from their path. The clones gave loud battle cries, both raising the kunai they held, and swept down upon her within seconds. Kagome was ready for them, and easily slipped beneath the steel they were wielding, softly chuckling at their stupidity as they destroyed each other. Really, they should have realized that they needed to take separate swings.

Ayame's eyes narrowed when another clone came rushing toward Kagome, because she had seen the small slip she had taken with her foot. And she cursed at herself for not giving the clones more chakra, because at least then they would not be acting so stupidly. She could see the deception Kagome was pulling, even before she ducked beneath the clone's arm, and reached up to grab ahold of its elbow and upper arm. Then, she hissed when Kagome shifted her weight and snapped the clone's arm in two, because  _she_  would have seen that one coming. "Damn it," Ayame muttered underneath her breath.

Her calculating eyes shifted from side-to-side, because she knew there were only five left. And they would be just as easy to kill as the pervious five had been. Despite that knowledge, though, she allowed another smirk to tug at her lips when a shadow began to form around her. She glanced up to find a clone ready to deliver a crushing blow with its leg, but she pushed against the ground, propelling herself backwards before the impact. The sound of its landing filled her eyes, even as she caught her gloved hands on the ground to flip herself into the air.

That moment, the second clone she had sensed decided to charge her. However, Kagome had pushed herself into the air for a reason, and spun the instant she caught sight of its face. Her foot slammed into the side of its head, sending it flying over the ground, before it finally crashed and popped to signal its demise. She was not given a chance to think as the first came at her again, but she did not need time for thinking. No, instead she simply jumped forward using a minimal amount of chakra to strengthened her push, and sent her fist into the first clone's face. Not a moment after her fist connected, the seventh clone also  _died_.

Her head turned, her ears picking up the sound of a weapon slicing through the air. She was surprised that the three remaining clone's would resort to this  _now_ , but she did not think about it much. Kagome merely moved herself a few feet to the left, watched as the weapon hit the dirt, and raised her eyes to challenge the clone standing before her. It had thrown its weapon and was beginning to use the chakra it had been gifted with to rush her. Kagome almost congratulated it on its bravery, but did not give it a chance to lay a hand on her.

Strong, sure fingers wrapped around the clone's throat, as she pushed herself into the air. Then, tilting both herself and the clone, she slammed the clone into the ground beneath her. It was not destroyed and began struggling against her hand, trying to use its nails to bite into her skin. However, Kagome pulled at its neck and slammed its head into the dirt again, stopping its movements for a few seconds. She would have delighted in doing it again, but a second clone appeared behind her, and she heard the slice of the air as its weapon came rushing down toward her back.

Twisting her body, she allowed the kunai and the second clone's arm to cut straight through the air at her side and into its comrade's body. The clone beneath her popped out of existence, the minimal amount of lightning it had taken for the clone to be created shocking up her arm. Placing her opposite hand onto the ground, she grabbed the second clone's throat using the hand that was now conducting the energy, and twisted them so that the second was beneath her as the first had been. The energy zapped from her into the clone and it began to shake for a few short seconds, causing her eyes to darken.

After a few moments, the clone appeared to regain its purpose and raised the weapon still in its hand. Using her own unoccupied one, she grabbed ahold of the hand and twisted the wrist until the weapon dropped from its fingers. The clone gave a small cry, most likely because it thought it was experiencing pain, but Kagome did not care whether it felt anything or not. As long as she got to kill it, she did not care. So, she grabbed ahold of the dropped kunai and with a flick of her wrist she had sliced open the clone's throat. Blood did not come rushing out as she had hoped, but she received nearly the same satisfaction when it turned to smoke beneath her.

Rising to her feet, she spun almost an instant later. Her wrist snapped, and the kunai she had held went flying through the air. The final, and tenth clone was not given a chance to even approach her, because a cry came from the forest where it had been stationed. The sound of it popping and smoke rising from the trees told all, and Kagome merely smirked.

After a moment, she turned her head to her relative and stated, "You really should  _try_ , Ayame. I mean, really, was that  _supposed_  to be some kind of challenge?"

Ayame pulled a kunai from her holster, and twirled it on her finger for a moment. Her eyes were trained on the bitch before her, and she knew that this was her moment. This was the time that she would show everyone else that she was not weak; she  _could_  avenge those who had died. That blasted Orochimaru might think that she stood no chance after she had told him about her, but she would show him and the rest of them. She  _would_  kill Higurashi Kagome, even if she had to give her last dying breath in doing so. "It doesn't matter if it was a challenge or not," she snapped, "because I wanted to kill you with my own hands—"

The Konoha and Suna-nin watched, waiting, for what she would say next. Gaara's eyes were trained on Kagome, debating her reaction to what came from her relative's mouth. She was a mystery, and she did not seem the least bit affected by anything that her relative was throwing at her. In fact, she almost seemed to be playing with her in a way. She seemed like she had gotten a brand new toy that she was going to play with until she got bored, and then she was going to  _rip_  its head off. He would not be surprised if she did, whether it was because of her obsession or a reason that would be revealed in time.

"—murderer!" Ayame spat.

"Aren't all shinobi designed to kill?" Kagome asked in a chipped tone. She knew what she was doing, and she waited for the moment that Ayame would snap. She wanted her to, because then she would have another reason for wiping the world clean of her filth. She would be given another reason to dispatch her soul and take delight while doing so.

Ayame's eyes burned with hatred, "Yes! But, shinobi are not trained to kill family and clansmen! You did! You killed them all in cold blood, and I'm going to make sure that you're put down. I'm going to make sure that you are lying in a pool of your own blood before this is over, because you deserve to die,  _monster_!"

Naruto's eyes widened, and he turned to glance at his friend now standing at his side. He noticed that Sasuke had paled considerably, so much so that it was noticeable with his already pale skin. His friend's mouth was hanging open a bit, and Naruto could tell that Sasuke was trying to choke out the one name that he hated saying most.

 _Itachi_. Uchiha  _Itachi_.

"They were worthless souls that did not deserve the life they had been given," Kagome stated. Her lip lifted, showing off a bit of her teeth, but otherwise she showed no sign of Ayame's words affecting her. "I killed them because they did not deserve to live. And you do not deserve to live, Ayame. Your soul is as worthless as theirs were."

Ayame narrowed her eyes at the reaction—or lack there of—she received from the bitch. Her hand gripped her kunai tighter, as her green eyes blazed with fury. "You really are a monster! You stand there as if you've done nothing wrong,  _and_  among people that know nothing about you! You deserve the death that I'll give you, though it's barely payment for all the lives you stole!"

The light of the sun obscured her blue eyes, turning them dark and ominous. As the final sentence drifted across the clearing, a feral grin blossomed on her face. Kagome chuckled softly, saying, "You believe you can kill me, Ayame? Have I not proven you are  _nowhere_  near my level? Tch, I have destroyed lives much more meaningful than yours. I killed those who had twice the talent you've ever shown. Do not try to lie to me by believing you are so powerful and great that you'll somehow,  _suddenly_  overcome the power I've gained."

"I know I will kill you!" Ayame yelled. "I will avenge  _my_  Clan, and then return to  _my_  village to tell them I've succeeded! And the people will cheer in the streets because I killed the one who stole away their precious Higure Clan."

"You are a fool," Kagome smirked. "I could humiliate you before you even managed to  _touch_  me."

"Not if you're dead," Ayame roared. She raced forward after her declaration, chakra increasing her speed and pushing her forward. The kunai twisted in her grip, catching the light of the sun and gleaming menacingly. It would be Higurashi Kagome's end, and soon blood would drip over the handle and onto her hand. And then everyone would see that while Kagome had been the prodigy, the  _monster_ , she was not undefeatable.

"Is that a challenge?" Kagome asked herself. Her look darkened a bit as her head lowered, her bangs covering her eyes. "Poor, poor Ayame, you should know a little about me from what the other miserable fools whispered. I was the head's daughter; feared and watched; hated and secretly despised even though they call me their one true joy. You should know to never give me a challenge, for I  _never_  lose."

Ayame sped across the clearing, and within moments they clashed.

 

* * *

Gaara's eyes flickered over toward his companions, because each seemed to be in a state of shock at the declaration that Kagome had killed her Clan. He did not find it all that surprising from the way she acted, though he found it odd that she hid it if she was so proud of the accomplishment. She had stated that she no longer was  _allowed_  to hold her surname, but it appeared that she simply did not  _wish_  to hold it anymore. So, she had cast it aside until her relative had come, somehow knowing that it had been her—which made him question her past, though he knew that all jinchuuriki were despised and hated—that killed them.

He was positive that she was the vessel to a demon. His first reaction to her had been something he had only felt when he felt the power that Kyuubi expelled. Now he knew from their words alone that she was not loved, she was only raised to be a weapon. Yet still the people around her could not find a single thing about her to cherish her for, and that, in the end, was probably what caused her to strike back at them. He understood, because at one time he had drifted in the endless loneliness and darkness until Naruto shattered his reality of killing to live. If Naruto had not fought with him, though, he doubted he would have the strength to change and he would have killed everyone the way she had.

However, he understood Uchiha Sasuke reaction to the information now exposed. The Uchiha had lost his entire family, his life, because his sibling decided to destroy it all in a single moment. He probably sympathized with the woman now swinging her kunai wildly, trying to catch ahold of anything that might bleed, but Gaara did not. He had led the life of a jinchuuriki, he had experienced the want to kill everyone that ever hurt him, and even now the demon's influence pushed at him whenever he felt threatened. He had never had to experience the lost of everything that he had cared for because everything he had cared for turned its back on him, so he turned his back on them. The Uchiha might find reason to side with this Ayame woman, but Gaara knew that he could not.

He had not known the blood obsessed woman for long, but he felt a connection like never before. And it had strengthened almost the moment she had stated that she had never been loved, only hated and despised. He might no longer have to live that life, but he had lived it, and he understood.

 

* * *

Ayame slid down, sweeping her foot underneath Kagome's. However, her frustration began to heighten when the bitch merely jumped, and easily twisted out of the way when she swept her kunai upward. Her teeth clenched, her concentration focusing on  _only_  destroying the life of the one standing in front of her. So, digging her foot into the ground, Ayame took a swing with her fist, before swiftly arching the kunai back up through the air toward her opponent's throat. Her frustration heightened a little more when her attack did not connect, and a bit of fear spiked into her brain when she felt Kagome's fingers grasp ahold of her wrist.

Kagome smirked into the face of her relative. She could feel the anger radiating off of her body and it amused her for the time being. She almost told Ayame she was lucky she could keep her from being bored, because once she felt the excitement begin to slip, Ayame would die.

Ayame tugged at Kagome's strong hold, wondering what the world the bitch was thinking. She was a bit surprised when Kagome raised her other hand to swiftly cut the palm of her hand, but after a moment she understood. Blood was the greatest weapon the Higure Clan had, because they had learned to turn an opponent's against them and manipulate their own if they bled. So, she merely glared and finally managed to break her wrist from Kagome's grip, ready to strike out at her again.

Blood swelled from the wound she had created, dribbling down and coating her fingers. She felt no need to use the weapon yet, though, as she twisted her shoulder back, avoiding another blow from Ayame's metal weapon. No, there was no need to waste her chakra until she needed to find a bit more amusement in the situation, so she would allow the wound to flow freely for now. After all, if she felt the need, she could always find a way to reopen it later.

Rage filled her with each sweep of the kunai, her opponent taking a single step back and easily evading the sharpened edge. Her teeth grit together, as she swung her arm back in a deadly arch, determined to spill blood. The bitch had taken everything she had known and destroyed it; she deserved nothing but death! And Ayame was going to make sure that it came to her, as she continued to sweep the bloodied kunai in her grasp through the air. The sight of it fueled her with a new determination, a heavier one, and she wanted only to see more and  _more_  until the ground was covered with Higurashi Kagome's life essence.

 

* * *

His eyes gleamed with lust for power, watching the pretty morsel as she moved with natural speed and grace. He had known she was a deadly opponent the first time he had laid eyes on her. However, he could never have guessed that the woman Ayame had wanted to kill and the powerful girl that traveled through Otogakure were one and the same. He never would have guessed that she held such a powerful bloodline—one that he would soon have under his control. Not only that, but his time in Akatsuki told him more about her, because he knew that with her and the demon she carried he would easily take Sasuke's body as his own. Orochimaru shook with glee at the very thought, because he would do anything in his power to finally rid himself of Kabuto.

* * *

" _Blood…_ " the voice whispered heavily in her head.

Ayame swung her arm again, before arching the kunai back down for her opponent's throat. No doubt her deception would throw the bitch off—it had always been her specialty. Her eyes widened, though, when the bitch fell backwards, her hand creating leverage on the ground as she spun. Her entire body twisted, and Ayame had very little time to defend herself, as Kagome's foot connected with her jaw. She had expected the blow, but Ayame still felt her breath leave her lungs as she was thrown through the air, her body hitting the ground roughly after a few moments.

Her feet touched the ground and she straightened herself back up into a standing position. Bringing her hand up to brush through the strip of red hair that drifted in front of her face, she watched as Ayame pressed her hands to the ground and went to stand. "I told you, you were not a match for me, Ayame," she mocked. "I suggest you give up and face your death before I decide to actually humiliate you for my own amusement."

" _Never_ ," Ayame spat. "I'll never give up to the likes of you. I'd rather die on my own blade before giving into death that way." She rose to her feet, glad to feel that nothing had broken in her harsh landing. Her body might be covered in dirt, but it was nothing that was not easily dealt with later on. Besides, she knew that she would not stop fighting until her last breath was taken from her. She would either avenge her Clan or die trying.

Kagome made a small sound in the back of her throat, before saying, "Either way, it will be your funeral."

"No, Kagome," Ayame replied, "today it will be  _yours_."

"Hn," Kagome replied, un-amused. "It seems that you still have not learned your place, Ayame. You cannot possibly defeat me, for I am the strongest shinobi to ever be produced by the Higure Clan. I was their prodigy, the one that they feared because above all else, but I was also the heir. Now that my father is dead, I am the head of the Higure Clan, and your place is bowing at my feet pleading with me to spare your life because it is you duty to serve  _me_."

"I will  _never_  serve you," Ayame snarled.

"I do not wish you to," Kagome stated. "However, I  _will_  put you in your place."

Ayame raised her kunai, allowing the drying blood still attached to the metal to gleam in the sun. She knew that she had not made the cut, but she was flooded with a need to see more as she gazed upon it. And she knew that that feeling pushed all Higure family members to kill, spill more blood upon the land. Slowly twisting the handle, she hissed, "I'd like to see you try."

As Ayame began to move, Kagome felt the rush to show the inferior being that she  _was_  beneath her. She was the better shinobi and there was no need for her to  _try_. No, she  _would_ put Ayame in her place and then maybe she might decide to play with her for a little longer. It really all depended on how Ayame reacted to her punishment, because Kagome only felt amusement in seeing her rushing in blindly while rage radiated from her very core. She had felt it when she killed the rest of those miserable fools and she was not surprised she felt it now when faced with another worthless soul that she needed to dispatch.

In the blink of an eye, Kagome's hand came together and went through rapid hand seals. Her eyes darkened to the point that they appeared to be bleeding black, as she guarded her thoughts and need. Her pulse quickened when she felt her chakra rushing to her hand, and as Ayame neared, begin to manipulate the blood that had dribbled down her fingers and began dripping to the ground. It twisted out, thinning until her fingers grasp around the hard structure, and she brought it up to parry Ayame's kunai.

The blood red senbon clashed with the steel, and Ayame pressed her weight into the battle. She knew where the weapon had come from, and she was not surprised that Kagome had now decided to manipulate her blood. Ayame began to grin, because there was only one reason she could think of that would cause Kagome—the prodigy, heir,  _monster_ —to use the technique. Her opponent must have noticed that she was serious—she  _would_  kill her—and feared that her physical strength might not be enough to fend her off. And the fact allowed Ayame's smile to slip through her mask, because she had known that Kagome was not as strong as most claimed her to be, she had just gotten lucky by attacking the Clan on their night of celebration.

However, Ayame's smile faded into shock when Kagome slipped away from her. The motion was so fluid that she barely noticed it, before Ayame felt herself stumble forward with the force of Kagome's attack gone. She made an attempt to correct her footing, but she was not given the chance as strong fingers grabbed ahold of her arm and wrenched it behind her back. Her attacker, obviously Kagome, twisted her arm to the point that it was painful, and Ayame cried out as her kunai slipped from her fingers.

The strength of Kagome's arm pressed her toward the ground, and Ayame almost fell to her knees. She would never be placed into that position, though, and struggled momentarily before she caught her footing underneath her. Ayame gave another cry as Kagome pulled her arm backward a bit more, before she felt a foot being placed into the middle of her back. The extra pressure nearly did Ayame in, though she was determined to stay off her knees, before the fingers holding her arm left. She went to move, trying to press her weight back against the strength of her attacker, but the idea faded from her mind in an instant.

Kagome's fingers easily slipped into the red hair of her relative, and once she had a firm grip, she pulled as harshly as she could. Ayame gave a sharp cry of pain, and she almost chuckled at the lapse in control, because no doubt the rest of those worthless fools would be disappointed in her. The pain also destroyed Ayame's concentration to stay on her feet, because Kagome easily shoved her into the ground. Her now broken arm was suddenly trapped beneath her from when she had tried to cradle it against her body, but Kagome was not interested in that bit of knowledge.

Ayame felt tears prick at her eyes, because it had been so long since she had felt this type of pain. Kagome was pulling at her hair sharply, and pressing her into the ground to the point that she knew her arm had been broken. It was no use to her at the moment and she could feel her anger rising at the fact that she had become so useless within moments. She had easily been overpowered and she was surprised that her deception and skill did nothing against her relative.

Surprise flooded through her body when the pressure was gone, the fingers suddenly disappearing from her hair. Ayame noticed after a moment that the foot had left, as well, and shivered at the thought that she could have easily been Kagome's next victim. However, anger quickly overpowered the thought because she was not weak—she  _would_  be the one to avenge the Higure Clan! But, her anger spiked when she realized, raising her head, that her hair—her beautiful hair—was hanging with the tips brushing against her chin.

Her hair, it was  _gone_.

She turned to look behind her and was bombarded by a cloud of red. Kagome had thrown her hair back at her, allowing the red strands to fall over her body and taunt her. Ayame hated Kagome because of the actions she had taken against her family, but the anger she felt at the moment was nearly as strong. She had worked hard to grow her hair and maintain it in hopes that her love would notice her, and now it was just  _gone_. "You," Ayame started, staring at the tips so close to her eyes. " _You_  bitch."

"You know," Kagome taunted, "if you had spent more time developing your skills, instead of maintaining your look, you might have become one of the elite from the Higure Clan. Such a shame, that all your  _hard_  work and effort went into something so simple, so effortless to regain. But now you don't have to worry about that anymore, Ayame, because I've  _fixed_  the problem for you."

Ayame rose slowly to her feet once more, her chopped bangs hanging into her eyes. She was shaking as she did so, but not because of sadness or fear. No, she was shaking because she was  _done_ —she would kill the bitch now before she even had a chance to retaliate. " _Enough_ ," Ayame hissed. "I've had enough of this and enough of you. I'm  _going_  to kill you, but I can't promise that it'll be quick."

"Strange," Kagome replied, bringing her hands up the same instant Ayame did. The seals they performed were identical, as they shifted through the process and allowed their chakra to flare. "I almost decided to say something similar to you."

Ayame's lip lifted in disgust, as she brought her suddenly glowing red hand up in front of her face. Her fingers twitched as she stared through them at her victim. This was her moment, the period in time that she would shine forth, and she was going to make sure that Higurashi Kagome felt pain before her death. She had planned to slit her throat and be done with it, but Kagome had tampered with something very personal to her. Now, she felt the need that many blood-users often chuckled about, and she was not about to deny herself what she felt.

" _Red Rain_ ," they hissed together.

Ayame raced forward, chakra pushing her to her limit. Her eyes narrowed at her opponent, though she continued to hear a voice in the back of her head nagging about how it was best to allow your opponent to strike you. She ignored her conscience, because she did not care anymore. Her shortened hair flapped in the wind against her ears, and her anger was raised another notch as she neared the bitch who continued to take things from her. She brought her hand up horizontally at her side, and prepared herself to take a quick, short jab at Kagome's side. She could only hope that this time the bitch would stay still, allowing her chakra to enter into her body and destroy her from the inside out.

Kagome did not wait for Ayame to come to her completely, she moved as well. She did not need the additional aid of chakra, so she concentrated on extending the area of her jutsu around her hands. The more space filled meant she would be gifted with an additional advantage, because her jutsu was more powerful and would not require the same nearness to strike with. Of course, the brief thought of quickly activating her circle came into mind, but she shook it away, because it would not be fair to use such a technique against a Higure Clan member that had not been taught it.

The moment they met, Ayame spun out of reach when Kagome's hand came flying down to jab into her shoulder. She quickly struck her own arm out, and watched as Kagome sidestepped away from her hand and the stream following it. Her eyes narrowed a bit more, as she swept out her opposite hand to hit her in the stomach, only to have her opponent avoid the second attempt. However, Ayame was ready for Kagome's return, when she twisted her wrist and went for the face, then the neck, obviously wishing for more direction killing sources. She ducked beneath her hands and went to take another jab.

Thus, they created an endless cycle. Kagome almost smirked at it, because she could easily put an end to it once and for all. But the frustration and anger she felt coming from Ayame with each miss delighted her, and she knew that the longer she allowed her to try and succeed would give her greater pleasure in the end. Already her need had risen to the point that she heard nothing but laughter and the wish for blood within her head, and she  _wanted_  it so badly. However, she would not take it now—no, no—because if she waited just a little longer she would fill her need in a larger dose.

 

* * *

Naruto's eye twitched from his position, and he turned to look away from the quiet Sasuke. His eyes landed on Gaara, equally silent, and he wanted to growl in frustration at the both of them. He could feel Kyuubi twisting within him, wanting to come out and play, but he had another reason that he wanted to be down there fighting, not watching. "Hey! Why the hell hasn't anyone given the signal to stop them or move forward or  _something_?"

Temari shifted closer to the group, and spoke up, "Because, it is a family matter that must be dealt with between them. It is more reasonable to allow them to fight each other and ware themselves out rather than wasting the strength of more shinobi than necessarily needed. Besides, our mission was to stop Orochimaru and he has yet to interfere with them or attack us."

Naruto could not believe he was about to say this. He felt his skin bristle each time he thought about that woman and he  _wanted_  almost desperately to know why. But he could not deny what he felt, though his heart and his mind were on opposite sides of the playing field. "But we can't just let them kill each other if we could help! I'm not sure which side we're supposed to be on—"

Temari noticed Gaara's twitch, and replied, " _Kagome's_."

"—but if we could help the person who's on our side, then shouldn't we be?" he finished.

"Naruto…"

Naruto turned to Sasuke, noticing how his hand had tightened into a fist. He saw the dark look in his eye and knew that his friend was thinking about the past. He always got that look whenever he thought about it, and his anger always seemed to leak through his calm, but Naruto knew it was because it was hard on him.

"It's none of our business as to why they're fighting," Sasuke stated. "If they want to kill each other, let them. We're not here to debate whether or not we should get into a family matter between two women, but to make sure that Orochimaru doesn't get to the village. And though I'm not entirely  _pleased_  with the idea, I think it would be best if you helped Kagome should she look like she's in trouble and you decide to be a knucklehead by running in there."

"Sasuke?" Naruto asked. He did not understand, he could have sworn that Sasuke would have opposed the very idea of helping Kagome anymore. Hell, he would not have been surprised if Sasuke decided he wanted to stick a kunai in her back as much as he wanted to stick one in Itachi's. "I don't understand, you're just like—"

"No, I'm not!" Sasuke snapped. "Don't try to compare my situation with theirs, because it's not the same. They're fighting for reasons of their own, and it's clear to me that Kagome did what she did to fight back at those that hated her even though she  _should_  have been the one they loved most—the one they protected. And I think that if that's clear to me, it should be clear to you, Naruto."

Naruto stared at him in shock. He had expected Sasuke to take strongly to the subject, but he had not expected him to defend the one that killed their family. Hell, he was not even sure if  _he_  could defend a person like that. The more he thought about the words that had left Kagome's mouth, though; he could see where Sasuke was getting at. Itachi had killed to test his strength; Kagome had killed in order to get rid of the thing that despised her. They had both destroyed a Clan, but the reasons behind the massacre were different, and he was surprised that Sasuke had seen that before he had.

Glancing down, Naruto stared at his hand and wondered if his strange dislike for Kagome was what had blocked out that fact.

Gaara glanced at them from the corner of his eye, before returning his eyes to the battle before them. He agreed with the Uchiha. She was a blood-obsessed murderer, but she had her reasons for killing those that had hated her. He doubted she had killed them simply because she felt like it, but because she could not take the walls surrounding her anymore and broke free. Though, Gaara knew that from her obsession, it very well  _could_  be a mixture of the two things.

 

* * *

She was getting bored.

Her prey would be so easy to catch if she simply twisted her arm a bit to the right the next time she struck out at her. So very easily caught. So easily caught that it seemed a shame not to taunt her about it, since it was clear who the superior kunoichi was. "You know," she said softly, "I could have killed you fifty times now."

Ayame jerked backwards away from the strike, snarling, "Shut up." A bit of pain rushed up her injured arm, even as her chakra manipulated itself into repairing the damage. She refused to show that it hurt, though, as she continued to attack against the monster that stood before her.

"Oh," Kagome chucked, "what do you know, fifty-one."

"You haven't even managed to hit me," Ayame hissed back. She could feel her chakra draining away bit by bit and she could only hope that Kagome's was beginning to run on low, as well. However, the fact that she was truly a monster was beginning to dawn on her, because though Ayame had heard it whispered, she had never seen it herself. Yet now, as she faced off with the woman she had sworn to kill, she saw that she did not appear to be breaking a sweat and the chakra around her hand seemed to  _increase_. "How the hell can you be so sure you could have hit me that many times already? Or are you only mocking me? Huh—try this, fifty-nine."

Kagome evaded the jab of Ayame's hand, though she remained within range for her other to snake out toward her. She easily spun away from that one, as well, wondering how in the world she would be able to make the thought of killing Ayame fun again. Yes, the worthless fools who called themselves the Higure Clan deserved their deaths, in fact they deserved multiple deaths, but it had been so much more fun to point fun at three elite shinobi at once. At least then she would have to react swiftly, avoiding multiple hands and jutsu because any of the three—or  _more_ —could just as easily take her life as she took theirs.

"Sixty," Ayame hissed when she thrust her hand out again.

"No, no," Kagome murmured. "I'm afraid that I could have easily evaded and killed you with every strike you've made. So, your number is currently  _zero_ , Ayame."

"Like hell it is!" Ayame shouted, increasing her thrusts.

"Here," Kagome smirked darkly, "let me prove it to you."

Ayame stepped backward, barely avoiding the red streak that surrounded Kagome's hand, but she was forced to take another when the bitch attacked with her opposite hand. Ayame went on the defensive, evading jabs from her opponent, and beginning to smirk when she realized that Kagome was not about to get past her. She would not allow her to get a hit in, and she would soon find a way to take another at her. By then Kagome would be weak and she would die before she was given the chance to do anything else.

"Now," Kagome barked. Her hand shot out with lightning speed, and she arched the red glow around her hand against Ayame's clothing. It leaked inward to her skin, and she saw Ayame's eyes widen when she realized that she had been struck. "I told you. It'd be so easy for me to kill you now, since that is the function of this jutsu. However, Ayame, did you know that when you concentrate hard enough and take complete control over the chakra entering your opponent's flesh, you can make it do a multiple of actions? Such as this—"

Ayame gripped her chest as the wound suddenly ripped open from the inside, blood gushing out to soak into her clothing. It was a minor flesh wound, but she could feel the difference in the chakra traveling through the area. She had heard that blood-users with excellent chakra control could do more than simply force an opponent's body to destroy itself with this jutsu, but she never expected to be subjected to it. With the foreign, but unique, chakra swarming underneath her flesh and beginning to take control, Kagome could carve her up from the inside out.

Ayame felt fear at that moment, because she knew that even if she managed to strike out and hit Kagome at this moment, she could just as easily kill her before her chakra managed to sink into the flesh. A simple change in thought, a different command, and the chakra would return to its original purpose—taking control of an opponent's blood and turning it lethal. " _No_ ," she whispered so softly she was sure that no one heard her.

"—or this," Kagome jerked her hand up beside her head, watching as another wound opened up on Ayame's face. The thin line swelled with blood along her cheek and a small amount of her chin. Her delight returned in seeing Ayame's torture, and she felt her need pulse beneath her flesh. Her thoughts turned dark, as her eyes stared at the red liquid now dripping down her relative's face.

" _Blood…_ " the voice chanted darkly.

 _Blood…_  she echoed. Her thought was followed by another jerk of her hand, forcing another wound to open up on Ayame's arm. She could see the blood staining her white top from her chest, but the sight of the blood leaking down from her upper arm excited her. Ayame never was one to wear something that covered her arms, and Kagome took delight in controlling her chakra to carve markings into her flesh from the inside, watching as the blood rushed forward and dripped down in long streams.

But, despite how much she loved to see her relative covered in her own life liquid and trembling in fear, her need always came first. So, Kagome locked away the need to see more blood and allowed the jutsu to dissipate, her chakra being overwhelmed by Ayame's when it was given the chance to fight back. She easily moved herself away from her, a good twelve feet or more, and said, "I grow tired of this."

Ayame glanced down; surprised that she had gotten away with only the minor  _scratches_. She had prepared herself for death, waited for the moment that her body would turn against her, but she had felt the moment the chakra  _gave up._  It had been consumed by her own chakra in the same manor white blood cells destroyed a virus, and then she felt it no more. "What," she growled, "am I not good enough for you to kill? You murderer the entire Higure Clan, but I am too good for you to even think about soiling your hands with me?"

Kagome chuckled, "No, Ayame. I simply meant that I grow tired of your weak attempts to injure me; your pitiful fighting tactics; and your ridiculous thought that you will ever be able to kill me. You are nowhere near my league, Ayame, though you were fun to play with for awhile."

Ayame narrowed her green eyes, growling, "You are stupid to have released me."

Kagome brought her gloved hand to her mouth, and catching the end of one of the cut-off pieces in her mouth, she tugged until it came completely off. She allowed the leather to sit in her mouth for a few moments, before grabbing it in her now ungloved hand, and stuffing it into her jacket pocket. She could have easily used her other hand, but she smirked at the look Ayame gave her, as she pulled the second one off. She deposited it into her pocket, as well, before bringing her hand up so the sleeve of her jacket fell to her elbow. "Ayame, because we are kin, I have a very special way for you to die. I used it on most of the worthless souls I destroyed, anchoring them down to the land so that they could serve me properly."

Ayame stared at the odd marking spread out onto the back of Kagome's hand. It appeared to be thin, red veins that traveled from her wrist to her knuckle. She had not seen another blood-user with such a marking, but the things that came from Kagome's mouth rang a warning bell in her head. She stilled, watching as the bitch began performing the seals needed, and almost stuttered, "You were taught that jutsu?"

"Of course I was, Ayame," Kagome replied sharply. "My father would have had it no other way, because I had to know  _all_  of the forbidden arts our Clan created. And I do know them all, Higurashi Ayame, so I thought that a fitting end to someone who carries my blood would be to be killed with the most horrifying thought in their head. To know that you will serve a lifetime underneath me, and know  _nothing_  else, because your soul will be mine to control."

Ayame watched, as slowly, the markings on the back of Kagome's hands began to spread. She could feel her chakra spiking, and tensed as she watched the vine-like markings spread until it appeared a thin, red piece of armor covered the outside of her hand. Then, just as slowly, the end spread down her fingers and extended past the tips to form claws, while the markings around her wrist created a band that surrounded her skin. It took Ayame a few moments to realize what was happening, because she had  _seen_  the jutsu used before, as the red, blood armor hardened until it gave a black sheen.

"You've," Ayame choked, "you've manipulated that jutsu…"

"Of course I have," Kagome said. "It was a waste of my time to wait five days for my hands to be useful again, so I tore the jutsu down to its basic elements. Then, using the knowledge my father handed down to me, I rebuilt it using the original idea, but made it better. Now, I do not lose the use of my hands, though I cannot say I was sad to lose the ability to use the jutsu at long range."

"Your father truly was a fool," Ayame spat. "Teaching a monster like you things that only helped you kill the people who called themselves your Clan."

"Ah, Ayame, if there is one thing we could ever agree about  _that_  would be it," Kagome chuckled. "My father truly was a fool. He believed that I would always be  _daddy's_  little girl, the precious jewel he had raised into a weapon. He was foolish to think I would never notice the way the rest of the pitiful souls around me reacted when my back was turned, and he was foolish to think that I would wish to have them beneath my rule.

"You know," she said thoughtfully, "in a way, it is almost similar to what happens between humans and dogs. We believe that dogs are mans best friend, and they are when put into the right situation. They are loyal and give affection when it is given in return—and in some cases they give it even when it is not deserved. But, the more you abuse it, the more you constantly kick it while its down, the more likely it will turn around and bite you."

Ayame blinked, "Did you just compare yourself to a  _dog_?"

The laughter in the back of her mind increased, though she easily ignored it. She kept her attention on her relative. "Indeed I did, Ayame. However, the time for talking is over. Now," her eyes caught her relative's green orbs with their dark, lustful glance, "give me…  _your soul_!"

Kagome rushed forward, her hands falling at her sides as her sight focused onto the red stained area on her opponent's chest. Underneath was the heart, and that would be the place that she struck.

Ayame tensed, but she was shocked at the speed that Kagome suddenly possessed. She cursed her as she shot backward, barely evading the first swipe of her clawed hand, but she was not able to react as Kagome twisted on her foot and caught her chest with her right hand. Ayame felt the claws sinking into her flesh, the invisible ties suddenly created gripping onto her soul, and she felt herself being pulled from the world of the living as Kagome tugged.

Warm breath caressed her ear, as Kagome whispered, "Good bye, Ayame." However, the words did nothing to strike a cord in her soul as she was pulled completely from the world of the living. Her vision faded and she knew she was dead even before her soul was completely taken. A killer like the monster that had caught her would allow nothing else, Ayame knew that even as she found a temporary peace.

Ayame's lifeless body slumped against her shoulder, and Kagome merely shrugged her off. The limp woman fell to the dirt with a thud, but Kagome did not give the useless heap of flesh a second glance. Her attention was drawn away as she felt her jutsu fade, the blood that had created the claws extending past her fingertips retracted back into the markings on the back of her hands. She felt no pain, she only felt the satisfaction that she had gained another victory and sent another worthless soul to the place it belonged. However, her eyes lifted when she felt the energy she had been feeling since it appeared spike.

" _Snake_ ," the voice in her head whispered. " _Hn, I wonder if he'll bleed red_."

"You are the perfect specimen," the man hissed.


	20. Nineteen

"You are the perfect specimen," he sneered. "Intelligent, beautiful, strong, and in possession of a  _now_  very rare bloodline. Yes, I do believe you'll make the perfect bride once I have Sasuke-kun's body in my grasp."

" _Bride_?" Kagome hissed in disgust. Her memory moved backward until she found his ugly face, and remembered the first time they had encountered one another. The man had tried to get her to join his shinobi in Otogakure, stating that underneath his control she would develop power unlike anything she could ever strive to gain through training. She had refused his offer and continued on her move, thinking that never again she would encounter him, and if she did, she would  _kill_  him. However, it appeared that because of Ayame, the man had decided he wanted her in a different, more disturbing way.

"Oh, yes," Orochimaru laughed, "for the Uchiha Clan will be nearly unstoppable once rebuilt. Your blood, containing its special strand of DNA that gave only the three families that made up the Higure Clan the power to control blood, combined with the ability of the sharingan. It almost makes me shiver to think about how powerful such children will be."

An eyebrow rose, as she said, "You expect me to  _willingly_  lay with the Uchiha? Especially once you've gained control of his body? You must be a fool, because I would rather slit my own throat than do such a thing."

"Oh, Kagome- _chan_ ," he replied, "once I've given you a pretty mark like Sasuke-kun's, you won't care who you breed with, as long as you're serving me. I could make you lay with the most appalling of my shinobi, you should be happy that I've decided to keep you as mine. And you  _will_  be happy to have the seed of a Uchiha fill your womb."

Kagome's eyes twisted into bottomless, black pits that stared at the man standing before her. She shifted her stance, her foot nearly touching the corpse at her feet, while her eyes remained trained on the one she had tracked since she had felt his chakra signal arrive. "Correction," she replied, her tone chipped in ice. "You  _are_  a fool. I am controlled by no one. I serve no one. When and if I ever decide to lie with a man will be under my terms, and it will certainly  _never_  be with you, old man."

"Do not be so quick to think so, Kagome-chan," he stated. "Once you are under my control, you'll have no thought in your head but how much you wish I would return to your bed. And I'm positive that once I have gained Sasuke-kun's body using your power, you'll be even more delighted with the more youthful form."

"It is you that should not be so quick to think so," Kagome snapped. The conversation had already turned to a subject that she often times brushed aside, and the man was a fool for bringing it up. No, he was fool for ever showing his face again, because now she only wanted to carve into it until he resembled the age she believed he should. "Even if you manage to somehow control me—which you will not—you had better watch your back. I am known for deception, slipping through the smallest of spaces, and if anyone happens to pass my way with a weapon upon them, I might be tempted to take it. After all, you will find I am harder to control than you think, and I have been known to be quite the thief."

Her hand slipped downward into her pocket and pulled forth the metal fan that had been settled at the bottom. Temari, from her position, allowed her eyes to widen as she grasped ahold of her holster. She had had that fan on her person, she was sure of it. Yet, it was as clear as day as Kagome snapped it open, and pressed her fingernail into the bottom, somehow popping the fan into two. The fact that it was now within Kagome's hand meant that she had stolen it, and Temari was almost afraid to wonder  _when_  it had happened—how long had she been armed? She had been fascinated with the small fan and carried it around, but she had not thought that Kagome would somehow manage to snatch it back. And she could only remain still at the thought that at any given moment the woman her brother was showing interest in could have turned against them with the weapon.

"Kagome-chan, don't be that way," Orochimaru laughed. "I'll make sure you enjoy yourself once you're under my rule. You'll have the finest things a woman could ever ask for, and I'll make sure to give you enough people that the demon housed inside of you does not decide to pay us a visit."

A frown tugged at her lips, as confusion flooded into her darkening eyes. The laughter in her head died away, and a pair of large, black eyes flashed in her mind. They stared at her, trying to make her remember something, but she ignored it as she debated the man's words. Finally, curiosity getting the better of her, she asked, "Demon?"

Orochimaru's face twisted until he appeared to be the one confused. His snake-like tongue slipped out between his lips to wet them, before he said, "Surely you know." He watched her reaction, until finally realization hit him, and he began to laugh once more. "This is just to good. You don't know the reason you show stunning talent when it comes to mastering techniques or your heightened need to kill is because of the demon sealed inside of you? You are not even aware that sealed inside of your body is a creature that once terrorized the land with its power and skill?"

"Do not jest with me," Kagome snarled.

" _Stupid girl_ ," the voice growled deeply. " _It is about time you come to realize the reason I cannot be detected or found by you. It is about time you realize the reason that you feel my presence even when you don't wish to; the reason that you feel the need to kill as I once did._ "

Without realizing it, she hissed, "Shut up."

" _Foolish girl, it is time you accept that you and I are not so different. You are merely feeding off my wants and wishes, while you feed me by killing. Oh, and how I love the sight of blood—something I gave to you so long ago_ ," the voice continued to mock her.

"I do not jest, Kagome-chan," he continued. "I was once apart of Akatsuki for reasons of my own, and my mission was to find the demon that disappeared into Lightning Country. The demon that was shaped like a massive dog, controlled the elements, and was called Gobi no Houkou. I did not stay long enough to find out what had happened to that demon, but now I see that my past has come back to give me a precious gift. It has come back to give me you, the container of the demon I was supposed to capture."

 _Houkou_ , she said to herself. The demon that had roamed Lightning Country before her time, and often times, according to legend, used its ability to control lightning against the people there. The demon was said to be terrifying and usually out for blood. Tales she had heard spoke of the creature joining forces with another demon against one that had nine-tails, before it had roamed close to her homeland. Her father had told her the demon vanished, but she sensed that the man before her was not lying.

" _That is my name, girl_ ," the voice growled. " _I have not been called it since your father trapped me here. And let me tell you, stupid girl, I was rather excited when you decided to kill him. I'm very happy you did, because he was one of the stupid humans I wished to kill after I vanquished Kyuubi. Though, I must admit, you did a fine job torturing that fool_."

 _Kyuubi?_  she asked, though her eyes remained locked on the man before her for any sudden movements.  _Is that not what you called that fool Naruto? I had not given it much thought, since you have never been very helpful._

" _You are such a stupid girl,_ " Houkou snarled. " _I have given you my power to use at your will, though often times you do not even ask. I have given you the lust for blood, which lead to you killing those worthless blood-users beneath us. I have given you many gifts, none of which you seem to appreciate. Even now you do not appreciate anything—you do not even seem surprised at what I am_."

 _Answer the question,_  she snapped.

" _Do not think you control me, girl_ ," Houkou replied. " _I will escape from this prison your father created, and when I do, there will be blood everywhere. I will have my revenge, and I will make sure that bastard Kyuubi is the first to fall once I begin_."

 _The question_ , she snarled.

" _Yes_ ," Houkou hissed lightly, " _I have called the boy Kyuubi because he is the jinchuuriki of that bastard. As you are mine, the boy contains Kyuubi, just as your precious Kazekage contained Shukaku at one time. His power will be increased because of Kyuubi's influence, but he will be no match for me once I have my second chance to rip into his flesh._ "

 _I see_ , she replied. Understanding flooded through her mind, even as the image of the large white dog became clearer. She had seen it before, in dreams and while she was conscious, but she had never thought it had meaning. The black eyes that stared at her were haunting, and contained a power that she knew she had seen used before. A power that she now knew was at her fingertips, just waiting to be unleashed.

"Strange, you did not know yet you do not seem surprised at all," Orochimaru continued. "One would think that you would deny everything that I have said and try to find logic elsewhere. Yet you have not said a word." His eyes, even from the distance, could make out the black markings beginning to appear around her eyes. And he had to wonder if the demon was beginning to leak outward, because he knew he would need to be more cautious if that were the case. This woman was not like that brat, Naruto, who so long ago had no control over the demon that influenced him during the chuunin exams.

"Why in the world would I be surprised? The demon you speak of had always been right here," she brought her fan up to tap her skull. "He speaks to me often, always has, and though he is annoying, I must admit I am  _glad_  to find out what he is. After all, with the power of a demon within my hand—within my body—it will be easy to kill you."

"Do not grow overconfident because you know what is sealed within you, Kagome-chan," Orochimaru replied. "I am a Sannin that was raised and trained within Konoha. I am the prodigy of my age, and I am not one to let a prize escape me."

"I am the prodigy of my age," Kagome replied, a smirk on her face. "I was the heir to my pitiful Clan. I am the last of the blood-users. I am the jinchuuriki of Gobi no Houkou, as you said. You may have more years than me, but you are still a fool that has willingly come to face your fate. And your fate,  _Sannin_ , is to die beneath my hand."

"Enough of this," Orochimaru hissed, his eyes narrowing. "It is time that you learned your place." He motioned with his hand, and commanded, "Take her alive."

The shinobi surrounding him began to move, rushing forward to do as their leader commanded. They drew metal weapons and began to make hand seals to perform jutsu, wishing nothing more than to please their lord. However, though all were trained to crush down fear and emotions that merely got in the way during battle, a small bell of warning rang in their heads when the woman raised her eyes. She stared at them with the eyes of a predator, a creature that knew it was within its element and feared nothing. And that almost caused many of them to pause, whether Orochimaru wanted this task completed or not.

"Do not think I am so easily subdued,  _Sannin_ ," the demon container stated. Then, without pause or thought, she swiped the metal frame of one fan over the scar of one hand, before repeating the process to the other. She tucked the metal fans into her silver sash, and still keeping the approaching shinobi within her killer gaze, she began to go through a series of hand signs with blood dripping down her palms and arms.

* * *

Naruto's eyes widened to the size of saucers, as he gaped at the scene before him. Sand was beginning to pool at his feet from Gaara's gourd, but his blue eyes were locked on the woman standing before Orochimaru without fear. The information brought forth sent his world tittering upside down and he was not sure what to make of it.

Another jinchuuriki. Another person like him, and all this time he had treated her with slight contempt and raised his nose into the air at the very mention of her name. He had not cared about her well-being after she made a fool out of him—which he had to admit he had deserved for his laziness. He had not cared about anything that happened to her, he had even tried to get Tsunade to throw her into a cell. Yet before him stood another jinchuuriki, another person that was treated harshly simply because they were different, and he wondered what had come over him.

A low sound echoed in the back of his mind, and Naruto turned his attention to the fox trapped inside of him. He did not fall into the place he often found himself when he visited the fox, but he could clearly see the large head and glaring eyes fixed upon him. Kyuubi had always treated him as if he were the weaker species, a creature that he would otherwise not waste his time with, but there were times when the fox turned out to be a bit helpful. Just a little bit.

" _Don't worry about that worthless dog, kit,_ " Kyuubi whispered, his voice dark and low within his mind. " _He and his container are not worth our time or thought. Just forget about them and hope that the Sannin manages to wound them fatally._ "

Naruto bristled, and snapped,  _Kyuubi! Are you stupid or something? Didn't you hear what Orochimaru said? He doesn't want to kill her! He wants to make her his bride!_  Naruto shuddered at the very idea, imagining Sasuke's body settled over hers as Orochimaru had hinted toward. Then a larger shudder ran down his spine, because he could clearly see a long, serpentine tongue extending from Sasuke's mouth along her neck, while yellow, serpentine eyes watched her reaction.  _Agh!_

Kyuubi chuckled in the back of his mind. " _I had never thought you were the type to fantasize about such things. But I suppose…_ "

 _Shut up! Shut up!_  Naruto shouted back at the fox.  _Don't talk about that, you stupid fox! Just tell me why the hell you haven't said anything since Kagome got here! Are you afraid of a woman or something?_

Naruto physically felt the fur along Kyuubi's body bristle. The fox growled from his position inside the young man's mind, and glared down upon him. " _Do not be stupid, boy. I would never be frightened of that foolish dog or the girl that he has been trapped within. In fact_ ," Kyuubi paused, as if thinking over what he should say next.

 _What?_  Naruto snapped.

" _No need to become so angry, kit. I was simply going to say that why should I be afraid of a girl that I hand picked myself for that foolish dog to be sealed within?_ " Kyuubi snickered.

Naruto became confused. He did not reply, as Kyuubi began to laugh menacingly.

" _That stupid dog continued to think he could get in my way, so I made sure he never would again. I convinced that girl's father that she could one day rise to become Raikage if he sealed a demon within her as a new born. And the man did exactly as I told him, the fool. Poor Houkou, once I decided his fate, he never had a chance_ ," Kyuubi snickered again.

 _You…_  Naruto paused, his mind trying to keep up with the information Kyuubi was so  _gladly_  bestowing upon him.  _You're the reason Kagome's got a demon inside her?_

Kyuubi's snickering died away, and he appeared irritated. He spoke after a few moments, " _I do not see why I put up with you, kit. I have for so many years now and still you can be so stupid at times. I had hoped that by now you would have at least picked up a bit of my intelligence._ "

 _Wait…_  Naruto continued,  _if you're the reason this dog, Houkou, is inside Kagome, and you were sealed not long afterward, then…_

" _Kit?_ "

 _Then aren't you as stupid and foolish as you say this dog is?_  Naruto asked.

Kyuubi became angered, and snarled, " _Never put me into the same category as that dog, boy. I am nothing like him, and I shall never be like him, because I am the demon that has always been known as the strongest. I am the nine-tails and I shall_ never _be as worthless as that delusional dog_."

"Naruto! Naruto! Dobe!"

Naruto's shoulders tightened and he growled, "Sasuke-teme."

"Why are you just standing there?" Sasuke demanded. "The signals been given, and the others are heading into battle. Didn't you see it, dobe?"

Thinking quickly, Naruto opted on lying. "Yes," he stated this with as much confidence and authority as he could. He stared into his friend's eyes, daring him silently to tell him he was lying. However, Sasuke only made a sound in the back of his throat and rolled his eyes as he went to move forward.

"Well, stop standing around and do something then,  _dobe_ ," Sasuke replied.

"I planned on it!" Naruto shouted, racing forward to move toward the battle. He shot passed Sasuke, and felt the Uchiha's chakra spike to catch up to him. He smirked a bit at that fact, even as he felt sand trail in his path, because he was glad to know that even now Sasuke had not beaten him yet. His friend might be competitive with him, but Naruto was always happy to know that they continued to grow and prosper together.

Naruto's eyes lifted toward the battle, and watched as Kagome made the first arch with her hand. Blood flew from the palm and arched into the air along the path she made, becoming solid and standing as if it were a solid pole. She repeated the action again and again, her arms moving at rapid speeds, until what appeared to be a large mesh net was settled between her and the shinobi surging toward her. Many of them had already been pulled away from their task of retrieving her by the shinobi within the tree line, but the majority was still heading toward her as another senbon twisted and formed within the palm of her hand.

* * *

Her dark, predator eyes watched them streak forward without much hindrance. That, however, would not be the case once she had them within her grasp. They would die, the fools. They would all die, and all because they were foolish enough to follow a man that knew nothing about her or what she was capable of. The Sannin might think he knew all, he might think that having had Ayame on his side was such a great advantage, but he would find that her deceitful nature always gave her the element of surprise.

One rose what appeared to be a whistle to his lips, and though she was not quite sure what it was for, she was not about to allow them the first blow. So, she spun the weapon that formed within her hand on her fingers, and allowed her smirk to spread out onto her face. "One Thousand Senbon," she hissed, flicking her wrist and allowing the senbon to strike a section of the net before her. The net halted its movements for only a moment, before the blood began to fuse together, the senbon sinking deep into the net and disappearing.

A ripple effect began to form from the spot the senbon sank into the net. It spread throughout the entire net, gently moving it back and forth, back and forth, while the enemy shinobi continued to move forward. A few disappeared from sight, but her eyes were contained on the large ripples that spread from the point of injection and through the rest of the net she had created. Then, raising her hand toward the net, she pressed her hand to the spot where the senbon had hit.

" _Die_ ," she stated, her voice devoid of emotion, but full of passion to kill.

Sand pooled at her feet, swarming beneath her toward the battlefield, but her attention was placed on the net before her. The moment she spoke, the chakra contained within her blood spiked, and her smirk turned deadly. Without warning needles began to fly through the air, shooting away from the net at high speeds, and struck the on coming shinobi. They were not given time to scream as blood mixed with sand, while the senbon that hit home drilled into the body of her victim and forced them to the ground so another could be struck down by the sharpened weapon.

Someone yelled for them to disperse, to get out of her firing range, but the net was large and extended at one hundred and eighty degrees from her left side to her right. They would not escape. They would die, and she would make sure that they did. So, she pumped more chakra into the attack, shooting the senbon out at a quicker pace, and allowing the net to begin to fall to pieces the more that was used. However, by the time she had used that much of the blood, many of her enemies had been struck down, many were wounded and did not realize the blood was leaking into their system, and those that had escaped would meet the wrath of her hand.

Swiftly, she performed another set of hand seals, and laughed, "Red Rain."

Otogakure shinobi that had been struck in the arm or leg, but escaped being impaled completely by the deadly needles, quickly understood the pain that came with the jutsu. It was hard to breathe. It become hard to even move, and they could feel the jinchuuriki's chakra spreading through their muscles and limiting their movements. Then, when the stiffness seemed to advance through their entire system, they felt blood gather in their mouth, leak through the pores, and burst from places that it should not be able to.

Those that had been unlucky enough to be hit even by one senbon exploded, their body unable to hold back the blood pooling beneath the skin and trying to escape. They were ripped to shreds, the body somehow disintegrating, and their blood rained down from the sky in beautiful arches that glimmered in the sunlight. It splattered upon the ground, tiny spots of blood staining the surface, and turned it red.

Kagome did not stop to watch the beautiful display she had made, as she moved forward the moment the net completely fell. The remaining blood settled at her feet slithered upward through the air and attached at the tips of her fingers within seconds of her first step. She felt the liquid sliding up her arm, waiting for her next command, and she twisted on her foot when she appeared in the path of the first line of Oto-nin. The blood reacted, extending and striking outward in the form of a whip.

The blood colored whip shot through the air, sliding into the body of its first victim with ease. Kagome no longer felt the need to play with her victims, she wanted them dead, and the blood reacted to her emotions and wishes. The sharpened weapon sliced into whatever it touched, and she flicked her wrist again and again, forcing the whip this way and that to strike down one more enemy. One more, because though they did not know it, they were feeding her in a way they would never understand, and she took extreme delight in each kill.

Her head snapped to the side, another whip forming on her opposite hand as a shinobi flew at her, a kunai flashing in the light of day. The whip arched into the air, slicing upward into the body and causing more blood to spill upon the ground the moment the body split apart. Then, on reflex, she easily twisted on her foot again, and directed the whip to wrap around the throat of a shinobi that had dared to try and strike her from behind. She tugged at the whip a moment later, popping the head of her victim off without resistance or trouble.

Sand spun at her feet, but she ignored it as she advanced forward. Her target was the fool that thought to show his ugly face once more. The Sannin would learn the reason those that should have shown her love and acceptance had feared her. He would learn the reason that the suspicion and hatred rose within their minds, allowing them to hate the one that they should have protected without hesitation. He would learn, and Kagome would make sure that he died.

Shinobi, the number of Oto-nin rising as they swarmed over the horizon, surrounded her from all sides. She paid no attention to the sand that shifted and rose to deflect weapon thrown at her, having become used to the feeling of the Kazekage's chakra. However, her head tilting to glance at the numbers of shinobi around her, she pushed herself off the ground and forced the whip back onto her hand as if they were nothing more than dark, red stains imprinted there. Her body moved with grace through the air, and she threw her arm through the air, shouting, "Blades of Blood."

Her chakra spiked again, and the blood splattered upon her fingers flew away from her hand in the form of giant blades. They spun in the air, twisting over and over again, and crashed into the ground as the shinobi surrounding her jumped, ran, or disappeared from her path. The blades carved into the earth, ripping it apart and creating large trenches with the more blades that hit the ground. Dirt, grass, and other debris blasted into the air, creating a screen for her to filter away from the shinobi that dared block her path.

She rocketed through the sky, her hand falling to grab ahold of the fan at her right side. She snapped it open before she even touched the ground, and swung the metal edge at the throat of another shinobi that dared get in her way. She heard laughter and almost hissed at the Sannin's voice, but instead focused her attention on the fool that was about to meet his death. And he did a moment later, the edge of the fan ripping through his throat. Blood splattered upon her nose, but she twisted and pulled the other fan from her left side, snapping it open and slicing it horizontally across another opponent's face without hesitation.

Blood dripped from the edge of each fan as she snapped them closed once more, and shifted her eyes around at the Oto-nin once more surrounding her. Her glance caught sight of sand shifting and devouring worthless souls that could not escape, before she refocused her attention on the men surrounding her. A low chuckle filled her throat, because she had no doubt that they would take this opportunity to attack her, and they would learn the reason she was known to be the most deceitful in the Higure Clan. Her deduction was not wrong, for a moment later they swarmed in with weapons drawn, and she only chuckled again when the sand at her feet doubled, rose, and devoured them, leaving no signs that they had ever been there. The only thing she had to remember them by was the sound of them screaming before they died, and how she loved it.

She twisted the fans within her hands, easily ridding them of the excess blood that had remained. Her eyes rose, meeting the golden gaze of the snake, and she allowed a feral smirk to cross her features. "I seem to remember you saying that you were going to give me a pretty little marking," she sneered. "Whatever in the world happened to that plan?"

Orochimaru hissed, his anger having risen with each weakling that underestimated the sand that had decided to pool at Kagome's feet. Or the blade that she wielded expertly in her hand. "Don't worry, Kagome-chan, that time will come soon enough," he hissed. "There is no reason for you to get upset over the fact that you haven't received it yet."

She smirked, "I'm not upset. I'm simply wondering when you'll decide to move your lazy ass, old man. Or are you expecting your henchmen to drag me to your side and then give me this  _precious_  gift? I'll tell you now that none of them will ever be able to handle me for that amount of time."

With her words, Orochimaru's eyes widened and his jutsu activated.

The haunting eyes stared at her, hypnotized her, and she felt her mind begin to form fear. It began to spread throughout her system in a way that was not uncommon, but she knew that less time had gone by then she truly thought. She could hear the Sannin chuckling once more, mocking her, but she felt chakra rise within her body. It attacked the fear, the need to panic and fall to her knees, and a moment after the jutsu had been cast, she broke free. Like most genjutsu, it had not held her for long, and she allowed her smirk to blossom once more as the Sannin's eyes widened again, this time in shock.

"I thought you knew all about me," Kagome mocked him. "It would seem that you know very little, considering the fact you do not even know that I have never been captured within a genjutsu. It seems the demon inside of me is able to counter them with simple chakra, and they will never work on me."

He hissed, the sound low and deadly. "No matter," he stated. "There is no reason to think that that is my only way of capturing you, Kagome-chan. So do not give up just yet. You'll be within my grasp soon enough, and once you are, I'll make sure to capture Sasuke-kun. Then, we can begin to revive the Uchiha Clan together, and prove to you that you will enjoy the feel of lying beneath me."

"Disgusting fool."

"Maybe so, but you'll learn to love it, Kagome-chan," Orochimaru replied.

She stepped to the side, allowing the shinobi that had the audacity to attack her from behind to soar by. Her smirk disappeared, replaced once again by a darkened look of nothingness that instilled fear into her enemies. She raised her arm, angling it with the ground, and raced forward before the foolish soul had a chance to react. The fan within her hand struck home, and she easily shoved her entire arm through his back and out his chest. The man gave a gargled scream and died.

The feeling of the Kazekage's chakra sliding away penetrated her senses, and she glanced to find that the sand was beginning to sweep away from her toward another section of the battlefield. He obviously knew that she could handle herself, though she very well could have told him that, and had decided to allow his strange sand to slip away for a moment. It was perfect timing, too, because she was more than willing to show these shinobi her true potential as a Higure Clan member. It would be only a bonus that her little trick would bring her closer to the ugly bastard that she so wanted to kill.

The sound of slicing air entered her ears, but it was already far too late for the one who had thrown the blade. Her jutsu had already been activated, and now it was only a matter of waiting. So, as she began to pull her arm slowly from the back of the dead fool hanging off her, she began to turn just enough to make it seem that she had stepped into the attack. She felt nothing, but knew the moment the kunai struck home, sinking into her shoulder. It gave her enemies a moment of cheer, and they did not see the tiny smirk that appeared on her face.

Without warning, without cause, she hunched over in the light of day, and her body exploded into a million particles of dirt. It launched outward in all directions from where her body once stood, spreading far, and beginning to suffocate many of the shinobi that had been foolish enough to have swarmed around her. The blast blocked out the light of day, incasing the area she had been battling within in darkness, and almost instantly fear began to strike the hearts of many who found themselves struggling to breathe.

* * *

The action seemed to halt for only a moment, and Gaara's eyes were trained on the sight of the kunai protruding from Kagome's back. The woman that he had gained interest in, for reasons still unknown to himself, and she had been hit the moment he command his sand away from her. It was almost unbelievable, but he saw it with his very eyes. He stared, almost as if there was nothing else in the world that he could see, and watched as she seemed to hunch over in pain, the metal shining in the sunlight as her body appeared to be incased in shadows.

He was almost confused with his own actions, because though his arms were crossed and he remained very still, he had to suppress the need to step forward toward her. He did not understand his want to be at her side, make sure the kunai had not hit anything that could lead to her death. She was an enigma, a puzzle that he wished to solve, but there was no reason for him to want such a thing. There was absolutely no reason for him to want to raise his voice, rush to her side, or have anything else to do with her. Ever.

"Kagome!"

Gaara glanced in the direction of his elder sister. He did not know the full extent of what Temari had began to feel toward the blood-obsessed woman, but he understood that she must feel something after having rescued her. The look on her face, though, was one of worry, and only strengthened Gaara's assumption that Temari felt more than she was willing to show. She had also created a connection with her, but he knew that it would never be like the one he felt.

Perhaps that was the reason he wished to make sure she lived. The prickling underneath his skin  _could_  be because he knew that he had been right all along. She was a jinchuuriki. She had been hated and despite, beaten down and forced to think she was some type of monster. She was merely different—contained something that made her so—and they were too stupid to have realized that they could have loved her, cherished her, and created a loyalty that would have kept her from ever straying. They were too foolish to do that, though. All people were, because they hated to know that the power swimming beneath a jinchuuriki's skin was because of something greater than they were, and they wished only to beat it down. They could create their greatest weapon, yet they chose always to treat them like scum.

His heart hardened at the memories, and his anger began to bubble over the more it swam through his head. It had been so long since he had thought of such things, since he had felt such feelings. He had pushed them aside, been determined to prove those people wrong, yet he knew it was engraved into the minds of everyone that was not gifted with a demon inside them. He had three perfect examples staring him in the face, and it caused the sand he controlled to strike out wildly and with twice the force.

Naruto, the jinchuuriki from Konohagakure, and contained within him the nine-tailed demon, Kyuubi. He acted out in order to get attention, to make people see that he was not the fox itself, yet still people blamed him for what happened so long ago. People hated him behind his back, though no one was meant to speak of the incident, and they taught their children how to hate him, too.

Kagome, the jinchuuriki from the Land of Lightning, and contained inside of herself the demon known as Gobi no Houkou. He did not know much about her, at least not much that could point to the exact reason for her personality, but he guessed that her own relatives had hated her because of her differences. They had not understood that she was different in a way that could have helped them strive forward, so they hated her when she was not looking, never wishing to offend the head of the family. Unlike Naruto, though, she did not seem the type to make others think otherwise, and she had destroyed all of which had opposed her.

Then there was him, Gaara, the one that had contained Shukaku inside of him before Akatsuki managed to get their claws onto the demon. He had been pampered for many of his younger years, until one fateful day when his own relative had tried to kill him under orders of his father, and had been happy to do so. Sunagakure was still filled with bitterness toward his father, toward him, for allowing such a monster to roam freely inside of its container. Most saw that he had changed for them, had wanted to protect them, but he knew that there were still those that secretly wanted to get rid of him.

His control was beginning to slip, and the sand reacted to the anger building inside of him. His eyes sharpened, becoming similar to those that he had had so long ago, and focused entirely on the shinobi cheering at the fact they were on their way to placing Kagome into Orochimaru's hands. It felt like even the sand did not wish for such a thing to happen, but before he could make a move, he noticed a thin stream of light brown particles leak from around the kunai in Kagome's back. The sand halted, wondering at the possibility with him, and then chaos struck.

Kagome exploded. Dirt flew everywhere, and it was a wonder at when she had performed the seals needed for that type of substitution. The area where she had stood was quickly turned into a large dust bowl, and some of the debris managed to cloak the area where he stood. The strong wind that came with the distraction forced his clothing backward, seemed to sooth the waves of his anger, but he narrowed his eyes against the particles the wind carried.

Suddenly, Kagome burst through the top of the area she had thrown into darkness. She shot through the sky, her body darkened into a black dot against the sun, and then she twisted her body so that she was directed toward Orochimaru. He could not see beyond the large area she had covered in dirt, but he knew from the conversation earlier, which had caused his heart to twist a bit, that that was her destination. She snapped open a fan at her side, and he realized it was because Orochimaru had stretched out his neck and was prepared to fight Kagome in the sky.

* * *

It was an interesting development to find that the Sannin could stretch his limbs to unbelievable lengths. However, she supposed that it should only be natural that one she thought of as a snake could appear like one. With this new development, though, Kagome knew that she would need to be a bit more watchful than she had originally been. To strike the heart meant getting around the other parts of the body, but when those parts could stretch out to such lengths, she would need to watch her back as well as her front. That she knew, and the Sannin would not manage to distract her long enough to give her this mark he spoke of.

She twisted away from his mouth, her near black eyes narrowing against the sight of fangs forming within his mouth. So much like a snake. She ignored the wind slapping against her; the hissing that came from his mouth; and angled herself for a faster descent. Her well-trained ears caught the sound of him gaining on her somehow, even against the wind, and she turned her head enough to find that he had swung his neck around. He was headed for her, obviously, his mouth opening to reveal the sharpened fangs within, but she only snickered.

Tucking both fans securely into her sash, she performed quick hand signs. Chakra spread through her feet, and she quickly spread it throughout the air beneath her, and created a platform from which to push herself. She bent down once the connection was made, giving the Sannin time to nearly catch up, before using it to propel herself forward. The extra chakra pushed her beyond the limits of most shinobi, and she swept through the air toward the Sannin's body.

She did not expect the Sannin's speed, though, or his ability to retract his neck so fast. She was given only the faintest warning from the snarl inside her head, and she managed to avoid the Sannin's fangs sinking into her arm by rolling her body. A growl escaped her lips, even as his neck twisted again to come at her, and she cracked her knuckles, pulled a fan back into her hand, and prepared herself to make contact. The Sannin's mouth appeared to be a black void that she would not be able to escape, but as they neared the clash, she maneuvered her arm and thrust the tip of her fan into his eye.

A cloud of smoke surrounded her, but she blinked it away and huffed at the sight of the logs hitting the ground.  _Substitution_ , she muttered to herself, wondering where the snake could have gotten to. The ugly bastard could not have gotten far, and she kept her eyes open even as she hit the ground. She crouched there for only a moment, and then felt the cold, strong fingers wrap around her ankle. She jerked, and managed to dislodge them, before watching as Orochimaru rose from the ground beneath her feet.

Orochimaru chuckled, "Don't think that you're the only one with tricks up your sleeve, Kagome-chan."

She huffed, "Don't think that tricks will continue to save you."

Orochimaru hissed, and snake's swarmed from beneath his sleeves. He watched silently as they slithered toward his prey at rapid speeds, intent on immobilizing her, yet she performed a number of hand seals within seconds. Lightning spread along her arms and legs, and she jabbed at each snake that managed to come within range. The blue lightning crackled almost as if in glee, and scorched the snakes from existence. Orochimaru merely scowled, because he knew it would only be a matter of time before he managed to get the feisty bitch under his control. And then he would show her which of them was dominant, because he also knew that that was one reason she continued to fight—that damned dog inside her.

The lightning continued to crackle, even when she stepped away from the ash the snakes had become, and pumped her legs into a run. The fan within her hand snapped open, lightning swarming down the metal, and she focused her eyes on her target. The Sannin's beating heart. The one thing that continued to give him life, and would do so until she had it within her grip and squeezed the life out of it. She almost chuckled at the thought, but pushed the need aside, knowing that now was not a time for anything but focus.

Streaks of blue followed her path, and Orochimaru was given little time to escape the arch of her fan. She crouched on the ground before him, and then drove forward for another attack, but he twisted his body away from the deadly lightning that was engulfing her form. Her feet were quick, and she formed what appeared to be almost a dance, while her arm continued to thrust the fan forward, her other arm duplicating the attack almost in show. Orochimaru avoided the jabs, confident in his speed, and made a quick assessment of the situation.

His shinobi were distracted, he knew that, but he should not have too hard a time bringing down one woman. She may be able to manipulate blood, even that which was not her own; she may be fast, to the point it was very noticeable she had worked hard for it; she may be able to break free of genjutsu, with the aid of her demon. She may be able to do all these things, but he should not need the help of his men in order to hold her down, if only for a second. Yes, and as he rolled away from another jab, he realized just how to do it.

The lightning was beginning to dwindle, for Kagome knew that she could not waste all of her chakra on such a weak attack. It died away within moments, but she continued to go for the Sannin's heart. He backed away a little more, barely avoiding her attacks, and a smirk crossed her mouth. He seemed to think he would be able to escape her forever, but he was wrong, and she would make sure that he knew it.

The metal fan gleamed in the sun, a silent warning of death glinting from the metal that had had so much blood spilled upon it. It swept through the air once more on command, the arm controlling it tensing in a last silent warning. Then, without warning, it swept back through the path it had taken, and managed to slice through a thin line of clothing and flesh. The arm controlling it shook a bit as blood swelled from the wound, but the attack did not end in the least, as the metal fan continued to arch and strike through the air at high speeds.

Her eyes focused entirely on the thick liquid that formed on the Sannin's clothing, turning it red. She held down the want to giggle at the fact that the Sannin was going to die, and she was going to bathe in his blood. Her need pressed against her full force, telling her to take that final strike, kill him, but he just would not hold still. Another part of her told her to watch out, he must be up to something, but her need had come upon her so quickly, so suddenly, that it was all she could think of. The need to kill, to watch the blood rise from the body, was all she could think of, would think of, even when she knew it was not something she should do.

However, she was no fool. Her need might be pressing against her, but she had another trick up her sleeve if the Sannin had one of his own. She was three steps ahead of him, she was sure, and her need to see his blood coat his body would not be a hindrance. After all, she had not managed to kill the strongest and most talented of the Higure Clan on luck, or by chance, and it would be no different with the Sannin.

So, when she heard the hissing, and she felt the thick rows of teeth sinking into her arms, her legs, and basically anywhere she could think of, she allowed a secretive smirk to cross her face for a moment. The snakes clamped onto her body, immobilizing her, but she did not feel the need to worry, to panic. Adrenaline pumped through her body, and she felt unstoppable. The Sannin might have stopped her for a moment, but she would show him within the next that she was not a woman that he could control. She would be the only one to control her life, her actions.

However, her eyes widened at the speed in which his neck extended from the rest of his body. His mouth opened once more, the deadly fangs there revealing themselves to whomever wished to gaze upon them, and she knew his target as his yellow eyes focused upon it. Her neck. She could not move, and the realization of her situation raced through her mind at such a speed that she barely registered it at all.

Houkou growled inside her head, snarling, " _Stupid girl! How far will you take this? Stop playing with this blasted snake, kill him!_ " Chakra swarmed around the dog, though there was no doubt in his mind that the girl had something up her sleeve. She blocked many of her thoughts from him without ever realizing it, but he also had no doubt that the Sannin wanted to give her something more than a simple bite.

* * *

Temari swept her fan through the cloud of dirt once more, the powerful wind that came from the attack wiping away the rest of the debris blocking her sight. She then twisted on her foot, blocking the attack of an enemy with the edge of her large weapon, before sweeping him away as well. She straightened herself after the attack, moving the fan with ease until it rested at her back, protecting her from unknown attacks. She had a lot of confidence in her abilities, but she was no foolish enough to leave her back wide open when she was searching for something else.

Upon finding it, Temari's eyes widened. Her mouth opened in disbelief, as she watched the thick mass of snakes burst from the ground at Kagome's back. Each of them clamped onto her body, and each decreased her movement a bit more. Another wrapped around her waist, sinking its teeth into her hip, and she was lifted from the ground without as much as a struggle. Temari expected her to at least scream, to ask for help in some form, but it appeared that the woman was far too stubborn for that.

"Kagome!" she yelled, knowing that it was her second time having done so. She had not feared for the woman that was helping her brother unknowingly during her fight with her relative, something telling her she would be fine, but now fear pierced through her heart. The Sannin was powerful, she had seen what he could do a multitude of different times, and she had no doubt at the marking he had spoken of giving the woman she had saved.

Without much effort, Temari pushed herself into the air, and brought her fan underneath her. She crouched there, something telling her that she would not be able to make it, and felt the fan glide through the air swiftly. She knew she would not make it the moment Orochimaru moved, though, so she made one last, desperate attempt at helping her. She grabbed ahold of the fan beneath her, and twisted herself so that it was back within her hands. Her chakra pulsed, instilling itself within the wind she created, and she unleashed the concussive wind straight at Orochimaru.

Temari noticed a moment after she had unleashed the technique, which would no doubt cause quite a bit of damage to the surrounding area, that the sand along the ground was also swarming toward the area. She stopped herself from falling by bringing her fan back underneath her feet, and glanced in the direction of her youngest brother. Gaara appeared shaken, and his sand proved it as it struck out at every enemy that dared step near it with a deadly strike that they were not able to escape. It left them not a moment later, rolling over the dead body instead of consuming it, and continued on its path toward Kagome.

She felt horrible, because she knew that even the sand would not make it. And she was right, as she glanced up from the leading particles, and watched as Orochimaru's head settled into the crook of Kagome's neck. A snake pulled at her opposite shoulder, tilting her head, and giving him a large expanse of flesh to choose from. His mouth opened a bit wider, and she fisted her fingers until the knuckles turned white, while his fangs sank deep into Kagome's flesh.

 _Oh gods_ , Temari whispered to herself, as Kagome's head snapped backward against the snakes that held her in place. Her eyes were wide, and her mouth opened a moment later to let out a horrified, high-pitched scream. The sound echoed into the battlefield, halting many, and struck the hearts of those that cared even the smallest amount.


	21. Twenty

Sand whipped around him, crushing those that thought Orochimaru's extra amount of power gave them a chance against the deadly golden grains. The particles rushed in all directions from his body, striking out at every enemy that dared even look at it, while Gaara felt his eyes turn murderous. The anger that had been contained underneath his flesh gushed forward, as he stared at the sight before him, the scene of Orochimaru's fangs deep in Kagome's neck. Orochimaru had touched her, cursed her, and essentially taken what he had come to enjoy for some odd reason. He admitted it in that moment, that he enjoyed her company in a strange way, and he had a very strong need to  _kill_.

His hand flew out at his side, the fingers curling in toward the palm, and the sand he controlled swept up and consumed another enemy. The sand swallowed even more without his physical command, and most of it continued on its path toward the Sannin that began to pull away from Kagome. His fangs slid from her flesh, a thin trail of blood gliding down onto her clothing afterward, and almost instantly the black mark formed on her pale skin. Gaara watched, his eyes narrowing, and the sand swept across the ground with more purpose, speed increasing.

Orochimaru's tongue slipped from his mouth, the long appendage sliding along his lips, and sucking in the blood that had gathered there. He chuckled, "I told you that you wouldn't have to wait to long, Kagome-chan. I told you not to get too disappointed, and now I'm proven to you that I wasn't lying.

"I'm sure that if you survive, you'll be very pleased with my gift, since I modified it just enough to keep that demon of yours under control. You'll be gifted with more power than you've ever dream of, and you always will be as long as you serve underneath me. But don't think that that gift is just for you, Kagome-chan, because once you've proven yourself worthy, you'll have to obtain my body for me." He laughed a bit more, "And now that you have your gift, you'll see that you're very pleased with it. In fact, I'll make sure that you're begging for it each and every time you see me."

Gaara began to walk forward, each step containing a massive amount of fury that was only seen through the sand he controlled with ease. His aqua eyes blazed with that fury, though he pressed it down and hid it, while he clenched his hand at his side. The sand around him reacted on instinct, swinging up into the air at his right, blocking another attack as his focus turned completely onto Orochimaru. The kunai slipped into the sand, before it came rushing back out in the opposite direction, and struck his enemy straight between the eyes.

Annoyance flooded through him, as the Oto-nin sought some way to halt his movements. They were pitiful, thinking that they could stop him with mere weapons and minor jutsu. As long as he had sand, he was invincible, and he proved it as more and more was created around him. It crashed around him in waves, swallowing his screaming victims into its merciless depths, crushing them, and allowing their blood to sink in delightfully. Though many enemy shinobi were killed, swallowed up by his sand, many more still moved to try and stop him from reaching Orochimaru. They only proved themselves to be more pitiful than he originally thought, because he killed them without a second thought.

Kagome's scream had yet to end, even as the snakes holding her in place vanished. She fell to the ground, wriggling there, and clawed at her neck in an attempt to get rid of the mark. His stride increased with the sight, the sound, as his instincts told him to get to her side, and rid her of the curse mark. He refused to allow Orochimaru to own her if it was within his power to stop it, and his sand managed to finally swarm into the area where she lay screaming. It surrounded her, striking out at the Sannin and forcing him back, before slipping around her body and rising her into a kneeling position.

She struggled only lightly in the sand's hold, as she continued to scratch at the mark on her neck. It began to spread, the ugly scorch marks gliding up the side of her face and down into her clothing. Her screaming increased, along with her struggles, and she ripped her shirt down the middle without probably realizing it. Gaara could not see anything from the angle, but the sand wrapped around her chest in order to keep the Sannin's greedy eyes from taking in her body.

* * *

"Damn," he hissed, his hand coming up to grab at the mark on his neck. His Sharingan faded from his eyes, the chakra inside his body striking out to keep him from getting out of hand. He cursed the Sannin once more, because he wished that when he had killed him, he would have stayed dead. Kabuto was more of a fool than he originally believed, taking the Sannin's remains into his body, giving the sick bastard the perfect opportunity to cling to life. Kabuto had not been strong enough to take him on, but he had thought the man was smart enough to try and take over what Orochimaru had started, not do something so stupid.

He sidestepped another attack launched at him. The Oto-nin surrounding him laughed, each of them realizing what his problem was. They mocked him, and his Sharingan flickered, forcing more pain upon his body. He ignored the pain, though, because he was strong enough to put up with it after everything he had put up with while within Orochimaru's clutches. However, he had not felt that amount of pain in so long that it was beginning to affect him, and he turned to glare in the Sannin's direction.

The Sannin's golden eyes, which greatly resembled a snake, slithered to where he stood. Sasuke felt the pain increase a bit, and he grit his teeth together to ignore it. The Sannin licked his lips, before turning his attention back to the woman screaming before him. A combination of sand and wind had forced him away from her, but Sasuke knew that as soon as Kagome was underneath the power of the curse mark, she would be coming after him. That would be Orochimaru's wish, and having seen that strange circle she was able to use, he was not quite sure how he would fair against her.

Sasuke nearly hit himself, while allowing another dose of fire to leave his body and sail toward the shinobi around him. He should not be afraid of her, whether she was a kunoichi or not. Yes, he should anticipate any sudden tricks, or strange jutsu that he had never seen before, but he should hold onto his confidence. It was fine for a shinobi to fear their opponent, it helped them survive, but they should not become so afraid that they could not even control themselves while in battle.

The fact that she was so much like Itachi, though, hit him once more. His brother did not appear like much either, except for another pretty, emotionless face that belonged to Akatsuki, yet still he evaded death at every turn. Sasuke had lost count a long time ago on how many times he had tried and failed to kill his brother. But, despite the fact that Sasuke could not remember such a thing, he did know that his brother would never fall into such a situation without a way out of it. And if Kagome was anything like his brother, she would have only put herself into such a situation to prove a point.

His pain ignored, he allowed a smirk to cross his face. It stared him in the face, while the mark placed on Kagome continued to spread across her skin, obviously intend on making her prove she could survive. His Sharingan flared to life once more, and he jabbed his knee into the stomach of a shinobi that opposed him, as he thought it over. Kagome was like Itachi, perhaps only because they had both murdered their family, but he could guess her personality enough to know that she had placed herself into the situation she found herself now only to prove something.

Prove something that would probably shock the Sannin and make him angry.

* * *

His eyes glinted, while he watched the marking spread across her skin. Sasuke had distracted him for only a moment, a shiver rushing through him with how close he was to obtaining a new body. The ugly designs the marking made began to change then, and his face twisted with glee, while the scorch marks turned a bright red. Her demon would have to be under lock and key, that was the only reason he had strengthened the curse mark so much, but he had no doubt that she would survive. A shinobi such as her would not fall prey to a bite, or something that entered her system, and Orochimaru was just waiting for the moment she finally gave herself to him.

The moment she stopped fighting, and began to fall his orders. It was such a lovely thought, and he only wanted to see it come to pass. He chuckled with the thought, saying, "I knew that mark would look so pretty on you, Kagome-chan. I made sure to increase the power behind it so that demon of yours could not oppose me, and you look marvelous with the red upon your body. Almost like the blood of your past victims have tainted your skin red, and I'm sure that even you can appreciate such a thing."

Almost as if she was replying to him, her scream increased another pitch. It was music to his ears, because it meant that she was beginning to be controlled by the mark. And soon she would have no choice but to listen to his command, fall at his feet, and rise to do his bidding. She continued to twist against the sand the Kazekage had used to hold her upright, her nails biting into her skin and causing blood to trail down her front. Again he licked his lips, though the sand blocked his sight, and warded him away from the woman.

After a few moments, Orochimaru smiled in satisfaction. Her screams were beginning to wane, though he had been slightly surprised that she could continue to scream for so long. Her throat was probably raw and harmed in some way from her continuous screaming, her vocals unable to hold out anymore. However, through the tears streaking down her face and the occasion whimper, Orochimaru was surprised when he heard another sound. He forced himself to listen for it, his eyes narrowing, and heard it again.

A chuckle.

The Oto-nin all grinned, believing that the bitch was underneath Orochimaru's control, but the Sannin only frowned in wonder. Something was not right, he realized, as he watched the woman's face fall until her eyes were hidden by her bangs. The sand was slipping away from her, allowing her to hold herself up, but it did not retreat from protecting her form, whether from his eyes or attacks. Then, so suddenly that Orochimaru's body went cold, the girl flung her head back and laughed full heartedly.

The wicked sound echoed across the battlefield, stopping many, and causing quite a few skilled shinobi to falter. All eyes turned, as the mark began to recede upon Kagome's flesh back into the original bite mark, and then she set her eyes onto Orochimaru.

"I'm not sure whether I should be flattered or disgusted," she laughed, her voice coated over with venom.

There was a dangerous playfulness within her form, while she slowly rose to her feet. The bite mark upon her neck began to steam, and then the wounds reopened, liquid trickling down her flesh. Blood followed afterward, sealing over the bite mark, and it disappeared as if it had never been. "It was such a pretty mark," she commented, her laughter increasing. "However,  _Sannin_ , I am afraid that your little mark will never work too well on clones."

Orochimaru's eyes widened, while the flesh upon the woman before him began to peel away. Her clothing turned to ash, and soon only the blood red figure of a woman stood before him. The blood clone smiled, laughed again, and melted away into the ground without a trace. Confusion crossed his face, while he cast his eyes around, looking for either the clone that had disappeared or the woman that had created it without his knowing. "How?" he hissed, disbelief clear in his stance. "I was certain that I had—"

"Did you honestly think that I," her voice echoed out again, and Orochimaru watched as she stepped from the shadows of the trees. She paused for a moment, before continuing, "That I  _would_  allow myself to be caught within your little snake trap? That I would allow a fool such as yourself to sink your teeth into my flesh? That I would allow an opponent that I had planned to kill get the upper hand? If you believed any of these things, Sannin, you are a bigger fool than I first believed. I will never allow you to even  _touch_  me, let alone strike me in such a way, because I am a Higurashi. I have been taught to deceive my opponents, fool them into believing what they wish, while calculating the quickest and easiest way to kill them."

"How?" Orochimaru snapped again. Ayame had told him little of the Higure Clan, allowing him to gain most of his knowledge through research and underlings that did his bidding. The bitch had obviously thought ahead as well, thinking that if she were to die, she would make sure that he died as well. He almost cursed himself for not helping her to begin with, because it had been in that moment that that damn calculating look had entered her eyes. And he was positive that he could have tricked that foolish woman into thinking he would help her kill Kagome, only to snare her into his trap and get rid of the extra Higurashi that he did not need.

"I am not the type to give away all my secrets," Kagome stated, kicking a bit at the sand moving at her feet. "However, I believe that I shall share this one with you for my own amusement,  _Sannin_. After I managed to slice open your skin, and looked into your eyes, I took the opportunity to perform a quick genjutsu on the area, blinding everyone to my movements. I then created a blood clone to my liking and traded places with it, allowing it to become caught within your little snake trap. With ease I hid myself in the surrounding forest, repressing my chakra and making sure that I was not detected. And, I must say, that you are one of the first to be so stupid to not realize it until after my clone revealed itself."

He cursed himself, having seen none of it. Then, Orochimaru's anger got the better of him for a moment, and he lunged forward with the cry of, "Bitch!"

The sand at her feet reacted violently, and Orochimaru had barely any time to escape the Kazekage's attack. He hissed at him, moving away from the woman and the deadly sand, but realized the moment his feet touched the ground that it was still coming. His eyes looked up for only a moment to find the Kazekage staring at him, eyes furious, before he turned and retreated to the surrounding forest. He would need to think on this development, because he had underestimated Kagome's ability to do everything so quick and smoothly.

* * *

Gaara relaxed his stance a bit, surprise clouding his mind. He had not managed to see through her move, nor could he believe how fast she had done it. Within a blink of an eye she had fooled the Sannin into thinking he still had within his grasp the real thing, and Gaara found himself impressed. He nearly tilted his head at her back, as he realized just how much he did not know, but was beginning to file away, about her. Her skill surpassed what he had originally believed her level to be with ease, yet she made it appear as if she did not contain so much power, no matter how superior she tried to make herself look.

While his mind rolled over this new situation, the sand he controlled continued to strike out with the same amount of ferocity it had gained. It leapt after the Sannin, chasing him far away from the woman that interested him, but also continued to rise and devour many of the stray shinobi that neared it. Their final cries of life echoed in his ears, fueling the lust the sand had obtained so long ago, and their blood sank deep into the greedy grains. Despite that fact, though, it trailed softly after the woman when she turned on her heel.

His eyes watched her closely, and realized within seconds that she was headed straight for his elder sibling. Temari was tense, probably not believing how powerful a kunoichi she had saved, but did not hinder the woman's movements when she neared her. However, he watched as Temari gave a cry of displeasure when Kagome, without permission or any look of caring, knelt down and reached her hand into Temari's holster. They spoke for a few short moments, Temari allowing her to search through her items, before Kagome backed away, a scroll clutched in her hand.

Once more the woman turned her back on him, and from the shorter distance he could easily see her pull a metal fan from her side. She used it to slice open her thumb, before tucking it away once more. The scroll was settled between the tops of her hands while she went through a series of hand seals, and then swiftly snapped open the scroll, running her blood across the writing. He had seen it done before, but he continued to watch as she threw the scroll away from her body, and a loud bang filled the area, following by a cloud of smoke.

She stepped closer to the cloud, her form telling him that she was pleased easily. Not a moment later the smoke began to clear, shadowed forms of the animals she had brought into the world seen within the haze. Her hand reached into the light smoke, and when it completely cleared, she was patting the fur of a black dog. There were three in all, one black and the other two white, but her attention was placed on the black dog that stared at her with ice colored eyes.

Ironic, really, that she contained a dog inside of her and she summoned them, as well.

Gaara almost found it amusing, but his thoughts were pulled away when he felt Naruto's chakra spike. The Kyuubi vessel unleashed Rasengan on a horde of enemy shinobi that thought they would be a match for him if they used numbers, and he felt his sand react to the violence shown. Naruto, after all, had also been something that interested him for quite some time after he had defeated him, and the sand trickling at his feet felt a connection between the two. It wanted to protect them, and Gaara knew it was because of what they were, or in his case had been.

His eyes flickered to where the woman knelt down before the large black dog, the size of a healthy horse, and spoke with it. The sleek dog's fur rippled as it nodded, before opening its mouth to reply.

However, Gaara also knew, deep down, that there had to be another reason that he wanted to protect  _her_. He had not solved the entire puzzle that she represented, but he had solved enough that he should have been satisfied with his results. Yet still his mind plagued him, pushing him toward her, and he realized that with her, his curiosity had not been fully sated.

* * *

"Kagome- _sama_ ," a voice called out to her. The deep sound came out as a rumble, similar to a growl, but there was no mistaking the masculine quality beneath the tones. Her eyes pierced through the smoke that had brought to her the voice, and she smiled in satisfaction at seeing the three of them. "What is  _the_  reason for which we have  _been_  summoned?"

The smoke cleared not long after the voice had spoken to her, and she cast her eyes over the three that stood before her. She had stepped closer without really noticing, and stretched her hand out to settle upon the soft fur of the dog before her. "Takehiko," she greeted him, her voice surprisingly affectionate. The dog's light blue eyes focused upon her completely, recognition clear within the depths, but she knew that the dog would refuse to show the same amount of affection for anything.

"Kagome-sama," Takehiko said again, "what is the reason for which we have been summoned?"

"Always so ready to serve, Takehiko," she chuckled lightly. She continued to stroke his fur, running her fingers through the black fur that covered his head. After a moment, her eyes turned serious, and her tone hardened, "However, I have summoned you for a purpose."

The white dog to her left stepped forward, the same chilling blue eyes staring up at her as they had when she stared into Takehiko's. A feminine voice left the dog's mouth as she spoke. She asked, "And what is our purpose, Kagome-sama?"

"You will find the snake that has entered the forest before me," Kagome stated, her tone lacking the affection it had shown for a single moment. "Hajime," she caught the final white dog's attention, "you will travel in from the front. Teruko, you will go in from the right. Takehiko, you will go in from the left. You three will find the snake, surround him, and push him from the forest. Use any means necessary in order to do so, I care not whether he is injured or lacking some part of him when he emerges."

"Understood," the three dogs chanted.

Knowing that they did understand, she flicked her hand and sent them to work. They were the best at this game, and they would find the snake before he had a chance to escape. They each blended into the section of the forest they had been sent to with ease, despite the fact that two of them had white coats, and she knew that already they were locking their sense of smell on the Sannin's disgusting scent. They did not need some meaningless piece of clothing or whatnot in order to pick out his scent, only the knowledge that she had called him a snake. It was not just because of his appearance that she chose to call him such.

Within moment she heard Teruko's howl, the female obviously having locked onto the Sannin's position. She smirked, because it would not be long now before the Sannin came running with the dogs nipping at his heels. She had trained with them, and they would not be so easily caught in some pathetic jutsu that he tried against them. However, her ears listened, as soon after another howl broke through the air, this one coming from the left—Takehiko. Another soon followed—Hajime.

Her eyes flickered around her body, watching as another fool attempted to capture her for his leader's purposes. The sand at her feet seemed to move with instinct, towering over the Oto-nin and devouring him. The sound of his screams reached her ears, but she had already returned her attention to the forest before her. Silence now reigned, and she wondered at the reason that Hajime had not given the forth call to tell her that they were herding the Sannin back to her. Her eyes narrowed, because she heard a loud bang, followed by a sharp yelp.

The Sannin's chakra had spiked, and he had obviously summoned something.

She stood perfectly still, waiting, until finally two of the three dogs emerged from the forest. They were growling, hackles raised, and raced to her side, just before the head of a giant snake followed after them. As if mocking her, it flung the body of the third dog from between its jaws, and the dog landed with a yelp at her feet. The other two, Teruko and Takehiko, instantly went to protect their fallen comrade, their loyalty burning through to the surface as they continued to growl toward the snake. Her eyes, however, flickered up to where the Sannin stood upon the snake's head, his golden eyes staring down at her in challenge.

Orochimaru laughed, "Do not think your pitiful little puppies can do much against my summon, Kagome-chan. But, please do call them to action once more, I'm sure that my pet would like a little snack this time of day."

She ignored him, kneeling at Hajime's side. The dog turned pained brown eyes upon her, while she rested her hand onto his side. Her touch was soft, as she ran her fingers across his white fur, which she noticed was lightly coated with blood. "Good dog," she told him. "You are dismissed."

Hajime let out a small whine, but popped out of her sight to where he had come from. There he would receive attention, she knew, though she regretted not being able to treat him herself. The dogs were loyal, never straying, and they were the only ones that she had had her entire life that did not give her such hateful looks. They deserved to be treated with respect, because unlike the disgusting fools that had called themselves her kin, they did not lie when it came to how they felt.

Standing, she cast her eyes over the final two dogs, "You are both dismissed." Takehiko looked as if he wished to protest, which no doubt he did, but her command sent them both following Hajime's footprints. Smoke billowed around her as they disappeared, as her eyes locked onto the large, swaying head of the purple snake. The Sannin was mocking her, challenging her, but she had more than simple tricks up her sleeve.

Bringing her thumb to her mouth, she bit deep into the flesh and drew blood. Quickly, out of memory, her hands went through the seals that she had not used in a long time. She had had no need for them, no one worthy enough to see her final summon, but the Sannin had pushed her by harming one that was loyal to her. So, she went through the hand signs with ease, and then shot her hand out beneath her, feeling her chakra spike, shouting, "Summoning Jutsu!"

* * *

Temari punched an opponent in the face, her natural strength alone sending him flying back. Her worry had long since gone, though she was taking out a bit of her anger onto the enemies that approached her. They were beginning to dwindle now, either crushed or trying to run, but Temari was glad to see at least one more settle into her sights.

After all she had done for her, yet that woman had treated her like she could do whatever she wanted with her. Of course, it had only been her holster that she wanted her hands on, somehow knowing that she carried a few of her scrolls on her, but it was the principle of the thing. Kagome had even had the nerve to scoff and tell her to get over it, she needed the scroll, and she  _knew_  Temari had it. Temari had almost yelled back at her that with her skill she should be able to find Orochimaru on her own, but had opted to brooding silently as the woman walked away.

She had been surprised with how big the dogs were that Kagome summoned. She had known that there would be three dogs, but she had not expected them to be the size of an Inuzuka nin-dog. She supposed she should have, but she had once seen Kakashi summon normal size dogs, and had figured that Kagome might have been the same. She almost wanted to slap herself, go back to that point, and figure out when she had come up with that conclusion. Everything about the woman screamed big, ferocious and deadly, yet she had believed she would summon normal size dogs.

Temari scoffed at herself, while swinging her fan at another opponent. They went down with ease, the large weapon cracking open their skull, and pounding them into the ground for more damage. She then unleashed another whirlwind, sending a number of shinobi flying, while they hissed or screamed over the stings that hit their body continuously. She slid a bit on the ground, but dug her feet in, and flickered her eyes toward where Kagome stood.

She shivered lightly, while she watched Orochimaru come out of the forest riding a very large snake, a look of satisfaction on his face as the beast sent Kagome's third dog flying toward her feet. The dog hit pretty hard, and Temari almost winced at the blood she saw leaking out from its side onto the ground. She was surprised at how gentle Kagome looked when she leaned down, running her hand across the dog's side. The dog wagged its tail a bit, though it was clear it had to be in pain, but disappeared in a cloud of smoke a moment later. Kagome then stood and dismissed the other two dogs, and Temari wondered what she was up to as she went through a series of hand seals.

She had seen her bite her thumb the way she had seen Naruto do when he was about to summon one of his toads. She believed the perverted Sannin, Jiraiya, did the same thing, but she was not positive. Temari knew she was going to summon something else, most likely another dog, but she was nearly floored with the amount of chakra that spiked from Kagome's body. It felt almost like when Naruto summoned his largest toad, Gamabunta, and she watched as Kagome rose from the ground, visible white chakra streaking out from her hand and toward the ground below.

An ear piercing bang filled the area, and smoke filled the air. Temari had to pause for a moment, her hand rising to cover one of her ears, and she was sure that they would be bleeding soon from how close she had been to the blast. However, she glanced up when she heard the growling, and realized that she was probably the first to lay eyes on the summon that Kagome had brought into the world. Awe filled Temari's body as she gazed upon the sleek white fur, though there was a strange bit of gray fluff around the dog's shoulders, and Kagome. The woman who stood atop the beast as if she owned the world, her arms crossed, and Temari almost thought for a moment that she was seeing her younger brother once more as the sunlight flashed in her eyes.

Then, Temari was forced to look away, as the dog gave an ear piercing bark. A rumble shook the ground afterward, the dog's claws digging into the earth below its feet, and it looked quite pleased with the impression it was making. Her eyes landed on the ground beneath her, and she nearly jumped when she saw the green mist that was beginning to form along the ground at her feet. She took a step back, though she swore the ground was still shaking, and then glanced up once more to see that the strange, green mist was coming from the snapping jaws of the dog towering over her head.

And she doubted that it was a good thing, especially when she heard the sizzling in the background.

* * *

"Why have you summoned me?" the deep, dark voice questioned her. She looked down to find the dark purple irises gazing at her, the painted red background they were set upon not affecting her in the least. She smirked, because no doubt everyone was now shaking from the mere sound the dog had made, and that was the way she wanted it to be. They should fear her, and they should fear this dog, and Kagome was about to prove to them the reason as to why.

"I believe you know the answer to that question," she replied.

" _Ah_ ," the dog growled. "And who is it you wish me to kill?"

"The snake," she stated.

The dog snarled, not wishing to play her games this day. His nose twitched, taking in the scents around him, and he asked, "Which one, Kagome- _sama_?"

"The big one," she told him. "The other is mine."

The dog's eyes shifted through the cloud of smoke, and gazed upon the two snakes not far away. A bit of laughter went through the dog's body, because it would be so much fun to tear into that slippery hide. So, the dog agreed, "It will be my honor to rip into those scales."

She smirked a bit more, "I thought you'd be pleased,  _Sesshoumaru_."

* * *

Orochimaru was not surprised with the blast that followed Kagome's words, nor the massive amount of chakra that was released from her body. No doubt it came from the demon inside of her. The sense of it had been odd, clearly abnormal, and spoke volumes on where it had truly come from. He was pleased, though, that the woman had such a good control of the beast, because she would need to keep it on a tight leash once he had her. It was no doubt angered already at being sealed inside of her, and he did not need it trying to turn on him despite the mark he would give her.

Orochimaru nearly hissed in glee, because this one would stay. The bitch would not fool him with genjutsu again, he would make sure of it. She had performed the jutsu perfectly and he was pleased with the amount of skill she possessed, but he would not be caught in one again. The woman would not trick him a second time the same way, though he truly did not believe that she would wish to do such a thing. She might be one for tricks, to deceive others, but he doubted that she liked to use the same one over and over again.

It would no doubt ruin her fun.

The snake beneath him hissed, before it moved backward a bit. He wondered why this snake would do so, since it had been awhile since he had used him, but did not question it when he saw the tail of the creature Kagome had summoned swipe through the smoke it had created. The long, white strands of hair fanned it away with ease, and the large dog was revealed to him.

The creature stood regally, its head raised high with an underlying threat of authority and power. The fur upon its body was pristine white, and shined in the sun to show that the dog was in good health and at maximum strength. However, there was a large amount of fur that rose away from the body around the front of one shoulder and down the back of the other. It appeared sleek yet matted at the same time, and stood out with the gray color it possessed. The same type of fluff extended from the backs of all four legs, and Orochimaru wondered if perhaps it was a sign of the dog's status.

It was the head that caught Orochimaru's eyes, though. The ears flopped over and were normal, but further down sat a pair of blood red eyes with slitted purple pupils that stared at him with malicious intend. High on the brow, settled between the two large eyes, there was the emblem of the crescent moon. The moon was purple against the white fur, which drew Orochimaru's eyes to the curved red markings that wrapped from the dog's mouth on both sides. Not only that, but when it opened its mouth to give a barking laugh, he noticed the rows of deadly fangs. They protected the tongue, which looked shredded at the end, almost as if another animal had caught ahold of it and tore the ends off.

The dog laughed again, the sound coming from deep within its chest and rumbling out along the ground. It took a step forward, its jaws opening and allowing another cloud of green to leak from between its fangs, before digging its sharp claws into the earth below. "Snake," the dog challenged.

"SSesshoumaru," the snake beneath him hissed. "A pleasure it iss to see you once more."

"I am afraid this Sesshoumaru does not agree," the dog growled.

"Oh?" the snake asked.

Sesshoumaru gave another loud bark, the laughter clear beneath the tone. His head raised, and he felt the woman standing upon his brow kneel down, grabbing a fist full of his fur. "Yes, because I am summoned with one purpose, and that is to kill. You, Mamoru, are my prey, and this Sesshoumaru is going to get such delight when ripping into your scales."

Mamoru's mouth opened in a hiss, the fangs showing that he would not be one to back down. He replied, "Do not think you will take me down so eassily, dog. My hide is thicker than you think, and I doubt even you can pierce it."

The large dog did not take the time to reply, instead beginning to release a fierce growl that shook the ground once more. Sesshoumaru dug his claws into the dirt below him, his head lowering while his ears moved back, pressing against his head. He opened his jaws, releasing more of the deadly toxin that roared through his veins, before finally launching himself into the air. His fangs flashed in the light, poison dripping down his jaw, and he locked his red eyes onto the snake that would soon fall.

Orochimaru felt Mamoru rear back, and even he was surprised with the speed the dog moved at. He appeared to be in the air one moment and then he was suddenly upon the snake he had summoned. He hissed along with the snake he rode, watching as the massive dog slammed one clawed foot onto Mamoru's middle, and his mouth opened to grab ahold of him further up. Mamoru gave a deadly hiss beneath him, wriggling until he had wrapped himself around the dog's body and tried to take a bite out of his hindquarters.

Sesshoumaru released another dose of poison upon the thick scales that hid the tender flesh of the snake from him. He snarled, tossing his head from side to side to tear into the thick hide, before releasing another large amount of his toxic salvia onto the snake's body. It sizzled within his mouth, but he quickly turned his eyes when he saw the snake go for him. He easily whipped his tail across the snakes face, listening as he gave another hiss of pain, before the poison began to eat away at the remaining thickness of the scales beneath his fangs.

Mamoru nearly cried out at the pain that suddenly erupted where the dog held him. He knew of the dog's deadly poison, and twisted until he had grabbed a mouthful of fur beneath the dog's head. He pulled, not surprised with the amount of fur within his jaws or the strength with which the dog held on, and struck the tip of his tail across the dog's nose. Sesshoumaru gave a loud snarl below him, and Mamoru only hissed in delight when he saw the trail of blood welling up where his tail had hit.

Kagome turned her head the moment Sesshoumaru released the snake and did the same. The dog beneath her twisted about, claws digging into the snakes scales, while he snapped his fangs at the head that was attached to the back of his neck. She knew that Sesshoumaru's fur was far too thick for the snake to penetrate his skin anywhere but his face, but her attention turned to the Sannin when his head came flying at her. She only sneered, while she listened to Sesshoumaru's massive snarls when the dog finally grabbed onto the snake in a more appropriate place to tear him away.

Orochimaru sailed at her, his intent clearly to bite her the way he had her clone, but Kagome was not afraid of that. He would not be sticking his fangs into her, not in her neck and certainly not anywhere else. She would rather that blasted Naruto bite her. She twisted her body, knowing her limits while fighting so high on Sesshoumaru's head, and slammed the heel of her foot into the Sannin's face. She heard a satisfying crack, and was certain that the Sannin would have been smart enough to use a substitution, but smirked when he came at her again. She was sure she had broken his nose, but just to make sure, she evaded his mouth and put her body weight behind the punch she sent at his nose.

Sesshoumaru snarled again, his red eyes flickering to the snake's wriggling tail. The growl continued to work through his chest, even as he allowed a massive amount of his poison to fill his mouth. It instantly began to eat away at the thick scales he had clamped onto, and he ignored the whipping the snake's tail gave his back, while the highly acidic poison burned away the annoying scales. Another snarl escaped him when the tail slammed against his back once more, his fur lightening the blow, before he was able to sink his sharp fangs into the soft flesh of the snake he held.

Mamoru released the dog, twisting away and wrapping his tail around his thick neck. The pain shot through him, terrible pain that no doubt came from the liquid he felt entering his body, and he hissed. The dog's paw managed to catch ahold of his head, pushing him into the ground along with his summoner, but he tried desperately to get the dog to release him. The tip of his tail sliced through the dog's nose multiple times, but he seemed to feel no pain, and Mamoru knew that his time was nearly up with the poison within his body. He hissed, cursing the man that dared bring him to fight such a creature, and disappeared in a cloud of smoke when the pain became too much to handle.

The large, white dog snarled at the human that had summoned that pathetic creature. Another cloud of green poison escaped his mouth, as he threw his head back and gave a cry of victory. The sound was much like a roar and shook the area, before he began to chuckle afterward. He shook his body, and turned his attention to the one that had summoned him. "Is there anything else you wish for this Sesshoumaru to do, Kagome-sama?" he asked.

She smirked, saying, "I think I have one more thing in mind."

Sesshoumaru seemed to know what she was thinking, and released a low growl that vibrated through him. Grinning the best he could, he asked, "How many humans do you think we can kill in such a way, Kagome-sama?"

Her black eyes flashed, the feral grin upon her face pure evil as she said, "All of them, I believe."

"Excellent," Sesshoumaru growled.

She brought her hands together in a single sign, before allowing her chakra to rise. Sesshoumaru's rose along with her, and the chakra spiraled upward until it was nearly suffocating. She almost giggled with the bloodlust that showed through them both, because it washed over her system and sent delightful shocks to her brain. However, she shouted the moment Sesshoumaru growled deeply, saying with him, "Transform!"

* * *

"Rasengan!" Naruto shouted, shoving his fist into the stomach of another Oto-nin. He heard Kyuubi chuckling at him from within his mind, obviously amused with the amount of opponents that swarmed around him. In frustration, he socked another shinobi in the face, and cried, "Where the hell do these guys keep coming from?"

" _I believe the more appropriate question is why your shinobi within hiding continue to let them come this way,_ " Kyuubi whispered.

 _Shut up, you stupid fox!_  Naruto growled. This was not the time to be arguing with the stupid fox that had been sealed inside of him, he knew that. Especially when he was trying to stay away from that strange fog that was now floating along the ground, and dribbling from the mouth of the dog Kagome had summoned. He was impressed with the dog, considering it was around the size of Gamabunta or bigger, but he had not liked the way his sandal started to melt upon contact with the stuff that came from its mouth. Really, he had thought Kagome was on their side, but apparently the dog she summoned did not care whose side she was on.

Kyuubi grinned, the smile malevolent and cruel. The kit might be stupid to a certain extent, even after all these years that his intelligence should have rubbed off on him, but he was fun to play with. " _Oh_ ," he chuckled, " _is the kit unable to concentrate? I'm so sorry, maybe I should speak up some more_."

 _Agh,_  Naruto thought.  _Why the hell couldn't you just stay silent?_

" _I decided that I wanted to nap for a little while, and then afterward I found it hilarious that you could not realize what you were dealing with. I thought that maybe after a while you'd figure out that that delusional dog was inside that girl, but it seems that I put too much faith in you,_ " Kyuubi replied.

 _That didn't answer the question!_  Naruto shouted back. He twisted, a kunai suddenly in hand, and slipped it into the stomach of the Oto-nin that tried to attack him from behind. A cloud of smoke blinded him for a moment, before he found himself staring at a pile of leaves and another weapon ready to take his life. He quickly evaded the attack, yelling insults at the dumb fox when he tried to speak up again, grabbed the guys arm, and threw him somewhere into the forest beyond. He heard someone scream afterward, so he assumed that someone patrolling the border like they were supposed to had killed the shinobi.

" _Do forgive me_ ," Kyuubi sarcastically stated, " _I did not know that I had to follow your every word._ "

 _Shut up!_  Naruto practically whined. He had enjoyed the silence now that Kyuubi decided he wanted to talk again, mostly muttering and huffing about the dog that was housed inside Kagome's flesh. He tried not to pay attention, while he performed his sexy jutsu to stun his opponents, but the fox just would  _not_  shut up! It was like after his silence, Kyuubi decided he wanted to tell Naruto everything and anything that he had come up with during his period of lets-not-talk-to-Naruto-time, and it was really pissing Naruto off.

He guessed, though, that he should not take it out on his opponents when he realized he was beating the face of a dead man black and blue. He dropped the shinobi, hoping that no one had seen that, before turning on his heel to grab the wrist of another that thought he was still not paying attention. Apparently they had thought that he had gone nuts, which he very well could have, but decided that they could attack him again now.

As he turned, though, he looked up to find that the dog and snake were twisting around one another, the dog snapping his fangs and trying to grab onto the snake. The snake had ahold of his neck, but the dog managed to snag him not far below the head. A large amount of green liquid seeped from the dog's mouth from where he held the snake, dripping from the corners and causing smoke to rise as it ate away at the dark purple scales until the pink flesh underneath could be seen. Naruto's eyes widened slightly, before he glanced apprehensively at the green mist that was floating near his feet once more.

The snake twisted away from the dog, the long, serpentine body thrashing until the tail had successfully wrapped around the dog's throat. The dog gave another fierce growl, pinned the snake's head to the ground, and seemed to ignore the tail that slashed across its nose. Blood was dripping lightly down the dog's snout, but the summon only gave what appeared to be a chuckle when the snake disappeared in a puff of smoke.

The dog then snarled, and Naruto saw that Orochimaru had moved out of range for the dog to catch him within its snapping fangs. He almost flinched, though, blocking another enemy attack, when the dog threw back its head and gave a fierce roar. More of the acid mist poured from between the massive jaws, while the twin rows of deadly fangs flashed in the sunlight. It took only a moment before the dog calmed, the tail beginning to wag back and forth again, and it gave a noticeable shake of its massive form.

The dog spoke, but Naruto could not hear over the wind that trailed over him, the sand that rumbled across the ground, or the jutsu that created destruction around him. There were so many sounds that Naruto strained to clearly hear anything over it, though he did hear the sound of another Oto-nin huffing in his ear as he turned to meet him. The bastard distracted him for only a moment, sending a shockwave of sound throughout his body to halt his movements, before he managed to turn fast enough when he finally heard the dog's deep, dark voice.

"Transform!"

Naruto had done it before himself, helping Gamabunta change form whenever the toad boss needed the extra help of claws or something as equally dangerous. He did not expect, though, that when the large new cloud of smoke cleared that there would be no giant animal standing over them. His eyes widened only a fraction, because he saw Kagome falling to the ground, where she hit and knelt, before his eyes swerved to the new ally that had stepped onto the field. Or he hoped it was an ally, at least.

He was not certain as he squinted against the glare of the sun, but Naruto was pretty positive that the new man's face looked animalistic. Not in the sense that he was in a state of bloodlust, but it was literally stretched out a bit as if he was not entirely human. He watched, trying to defend himself and see beyond the sunlight at the same time, and noticed that within seconds the man's face morphed until he looked almost completely human—except for those eyes. Naruto recognized them instantly, having looked up into them for a moment to see what creature Kagome had summoned, as he soared through the air closer to them.

He had barely escaped that jutsu. He supposed that he needed to pay attention more, but his interest was currently in the man bringing his hand up and lightly brushing his long hair back over his shoulder. Naruto was almost jealous, because he did it with such grace and arrogance that he could have outshined an Uchiha any day.

Landing, and sending his fist into the stomach of the Oto-nin that had followed him, Naruto caught a better look at the man that stood at Kagome's side. No, Naruto really was not sure if he  _was_  a man or something else entirely. He towered over the woman at his side, hell probably over Sasuke, and wore pristine white robes that made him look godly. There were areas of red on the robes, which Naruto realized a moment later was probably some old style of kimono, and the obi around his waist was yellow with waves of blue in certain areas. He almost thought, from the way he appeared, that he should be wearing some type of armor, but the only other article he had was a pelt of white fur over his right shoulder. His hair appeared white, but as he turned it flashed and Naruto realized that it was silver. His eyes were still that deep red, and the markings were a dead give away, but it took Naruto a moment to realize that male was what Kagome had helped her dog summon turn into.

The dog rested his hand onto his side, causing Naruto's eyes to move there, and he noticed that the male had a sword at his side. It looked to be something that a samurai would carry around, but he was sure it could cause quite a bit of damage as the dog drew it from its sheath. Kagome looked like she was smirking and she was always doing that, so Naruto just assumed that she was before she shot away from her transformed summon. She raced right by Orochimaru, the snake Sannin moving to follow her, before turning to face her summon once more, nodding.

When their chakra spiked, Naruto was not sure what to expect.

* * *

Sesshoumaru stood his ground, watching his summoner for the signal to unleash the jutsu combination. His eyes flickered in disgust to the shinobi that suddenly surrounded him, and he had to force down the urge to show them that he could still rip them apart with his fangs in this form. The sword in his was held loosely at his side, waiting for his signal, though he allowed a bit of his chakra to leak forth and a green whip extended from his other hand to wrap around an idiot's throat. With a flick of his wrist the fool was decapitated, and he returned his gaze to where his summoner slid to a stop.

A small grin of amusement appeared on his face. He could already sense the need his summoner had, the wish to kill that was pounding beneath her flesh, and he was more than willing to help her feed it. After all, she had summoned him using the chakra of the demon that he trusted to an extent, and he was more than willing to help Houkou feed as well as he could. His little summoner need not know that she was only helping the demon gain a bit more control each time, though he was surprised often with how well she kept the demon in line.

He supposed, though, that that was why he trusted her more than Houkou. The demon would kill him because he just felt like it, but his little summoner would rather he stay alive and wreak havoc with her. The demon cared only for himself and the power he could gain, but his little summoner cared about him and the other dogs she summoned in her own way. Houkou he trusted, but only to the point that he would follow the demon if he asked him. The woman that had managed to summon him, though, was someone that Sesshoumaru would always trust.

His nose twitched, taking in the scent of her. It washed over him once more, even while he raised the sword vertically before his face, and his instincts told him again that she was the better of two evils. She might not show it through her face or her actions, but she could never bring harm to him, or the others, because she cared for them. They were really the only things she cared about, besides her need to kill, and he knew that somewhere in her heart, she considered them like pack.

Kagome went through the seals she would need to keep it contained as she wished it, nodded before the snake got to her, and Sesshoumaru allowed his eyes to widen. His chakra spiked beneath his near human flesh, swarming down the blade that he held before he turned it horizontally. Lightning crackled along the length of the blade, his chakra turning it blue, and he released the jutsu with a single cry. "Dragon Strike!" he snarled, allowing the chakra and lightning he controlled to bolt away from the blade.

The lightning took toward the sky, twisting and turning around him, and he could already hear the rolling clouds that formed above his head. A pulse of his chakra expanded the range of the attack, and it instantly swarmed further away, the blue bolts racing along the ground. Thunder boomed overhead, but he watched the face of the dragon take form, roar with the thunder, and raced forward as quickly as it could. Waves of it filled the area, though he felt his little summoner's chakra pulling and twisting at his own when it neared those she had sided with.

The jutsu evaded them, his chakra so familiar with her own that it bent the way she wished it. He still was not sure how she had perfected the art, but he did not complain as the cries of his victims began to fill the air. The lightning ate at all foreign chakra signals that it could find within the field, but he knew that a few would survive. His little summoner had perfected her art of holding the jutsu in place and keeping it from those she did not wish it to strike, but it drained her chakra considerably. She might contain more than the average shinobi because of Houkou's influence, but he had seen her strain to keep up her manipulation of his chakra multiple times.

She would not hold it much longer. Her body simply could not hold out, even if her chakra could. She had trained and trained to improve the flaw, disgusted that she could not control the massive amount of lightning though she came from the Land of Lightning, but she could not hold out forever. She had gained a lot of stamina, endurance and speed from practice with the jutsu, but in the end her human body had its limit.

Sesshoumaru swiped the blade within his hand through the air, watching as his summoner encased the snake within the bolts of lightning. However, though he would have loved to listen to him scream, he knew that her limit was up. She would faint if she continued, allowing the snake a chance at her, and he refused to let others see his summoner as weak. He canceled the jutsu, watching as her shoulders slumped a bit in gratitude, before he moved, wrapping his claws around the neck of a surviving shinobi that smelled of the snake. He crushed his windpipe, and felt the transformation upon his body give way.

He returned to his original form, snarling as he leaned down to snap his fangs at the snake. The snake barely escaped him, and he would have moved to grab him, but he felt his hand of his summoner very lightly against his upper lip. He focused his red eyes onto her, noticing that she was shaking lightly, but not from exhaustion. He recognized it instantly and knew that she had fallen completely into her need for death. "Kagome-sama," he called to her, his exhale of breath ruffling her clothing and hair. She did not seem to hear him, though, as she pushed at his body.

"You are dismissed," she stated.

Sesshoumaru did not argue, he was not one to beg to stay, but cast his eyes over his little summoner. A feral emotion filled his body when he noticed her stance, and the seals she was already beginning to make with her hands, because he knew what she was going to use the moment he was gone. He laughed, though he already felt himself being returned to the place where he had come from, and hoped that the snake did not fall so easily to such a bloodbath.

With that thought, Sesshoumaru was gone.

* * *

Houkou hissed, " _That's it, stupid little girl. Give into me_."

 _I will never give into you_ , she snarled. She felt the pounding in her head, the need to take the life of another, and set her sight on the Sannin. She hissed through her teeth, running her tongue across them and realizing that her canines had lengthened a bit more. She flexed her hand, noticing that there were slight claws where her nails should have been. None of this bothered her really, but she needed to feed the need pulsing through her. She  _needed_  to.

" _Don't be so sure of yourself, little girl,_ " Houkou laughed. " _You cannot escape me. You never will, and I will make sure that I escape this place. I will, and there will be nothing you can do about it_."

She snarled again, completing the hand signs that she had been doing subconsciously. Her eyes remained locked on the Sannin, even while his tongue swept from his mouth and lengthened until it appeared to be a snake hovering around him. She hissed again, her need to kill him to the point that she would no longer use her lower level jutsu against him. No, she was through, and she was going to kill him now.

Orochimaru hissed, his eyes narrowing. He said, "I don't think so, Kagome-chan." His tongue shot out in the form of a snake, but she paid it no attention as she allowed the chakra swarming underneath her flesh mix with her own and released it naturally. His snake would never have a chance to come at her, she was sure.

"You are already too late,  _Sannin_ ," she growled, her voice dark and extremely dangerous. "You are going to die because there is no way you can stop my jutsu."

The snake almost paused, while Orochimaru flickered his eyes when he noticed that the very earth around him seemed to darken. He thought that she had cast him into another genjutsu, but there was something about this jutsu that clearly stated it was not an illusion. "What have you done?" he asked.

"A jutsu that only I have been taught, because it is handed down from generation to generation to the next head of the Higure Clan. It has never been recorded, the Higurashi family almost afraid that another family within the Clan might take over. It is not even used often, but I have no fear of you being able to steal such a jutsu from me. You are not from the Higure Clan and you will  _never_  know the secret behind creating such a jutsu," she stated.

Orochimaru's eyes flashed, watching as she destroyed the snake, her hand reaching out and ripping through it using her hand. He cursed, no having realized the demon within her was leaking out so much already. There were claws on her hands, fangs in her mouth, and her facial markings were bold and clear to the world.

Kagome slid down, putting herself into a position of attack or defense. Her eyes were cold, dark, but she cared not what the Sannin thought as he stared into them. She only cared as she spoke the name of her inheritance, the jutsu that only the head and their heir had ever known. "Higurashi Head Style," she stated, " _Eternal Blood Massacre._ "


	22. Twenty-One

Orochimaru cast his eyes left and right, watching as the ground at his feet began to take on a dark appearance. The sun was still shining bright and clear above his head, so there was no explanation for the strange occurrence. The foliage darkened next, each piece of greenery turning a dark, sickly gray while the wind made it sway gently. His eyes flickered when he realized the reason the bark of the trees had darkened was because it was coated in a layer of black, and if he was not mistaken, it  _moved_.

Returning his sight to the woman before him, he watched as she curled her fingers inward. Her arm was extended toward the side, and he glanced briefly to see where she was pointing. The blood upon the ground, strangely preserved though the bodies of his followers were dead, began to move with the movement of her hand. It slithered along the ground, slowly winding across the darkened land, and he realized that the farther it went, the more blood there appeared to be. As he watched, he realized that that was indeed what was happening, though he could not find a reason as to how.

The blood that reached her spun itself into the thick layer of sand at her feet, and the golden particles seemed to shift, darkening until it looked to be a part of the blood. The two substances were now indistinguishable from one another, and it was then that Orochimaru realized her jutsu manipulated other elements in some way. There had not been that much blood splattering the ground they stood on, yet she seemed to be in control of three times the amount that should have graced the land.

Six figures rose from the ground, each rising to stand and take their position at the woman's side. The blood red substance that made them glinted, changed, and he found himself staring at six clones of Kagome. They each wore a thin red shirt, short red pants, red shinobi sandals, and the same red sash around their waist. They each had dull eyes, none of them showing a hint of emotion, and appeared to be much more lifeless than the clone Kagome had created before.

"You are probably wondering, still, what my jutsu does," Kagome snarled. Her dark eyes held the Sannin's, daring him to look away for even a moment. "Long ago my ancestors realized that they contained the ability to control blood, whether it is outside of the body or not. My family had been in control of the Higure Clan by that time, and the head of the family was fascinated by the abilities that we contained.

"He experimented with it, taking long periods of time to develop more and more forbidden techniques for the family to use. However, one day, he realized that if he concentrated his chakra on a single purpose, he could manipulate most cells into something very similar to a blood cell. He practiced with most other types of cells, ranging from skin to plant life, and found that if he had a supply of blood infused with his chakra, he could change other cells into what appeared to be a blood cell. He hid this talent from the other blood-users, handing it down only to his heir, and made sure to bury the secret required to manipulate cells that way.

"When the fools underneath him finally learned of this jutsu, they feared his ability to bring forth a massive amount of blood when he only had a handful to work with. He declared the art forbidden, even to the members who were loyal to him, and told them that only the head needed to know it. That it was only to be used in times of great need, a way for the head to prove that they could protect those underneath their rule. The fools believed him, never questioning his words, and any who tried to unlock the secret to using this jutsu were soon rid of," Kagome chuckled.

"A cell manipulator," Orochimaru hissed. His eyes flickered away from her for only a second, watching as what remained of his hidden troops raced from the trees to his side. He counted fifteen, though at least half of them were littered with wounds—no doubt from the shinobi that came rushing from the trees after them.

Kagome's black eyes glistened with delight, while she said, "It would seem that I should have pushed my last technique into the forest. Then you wouldn't have anyone to hide behind."

Orochimaru decided it was time to rethink his plan, come up with a new one, and took a step back in the direction he had come from. It was time to retreat, but as his eyes cast over the amount of shinobi that opposed him, he also decided that a few more lives were expendable. He could always find new shinobi, train more, and come back for the little bitch later. So, to send his troops into action, he ordered, "Get them!"

The clones were already moving, weapons the same blood red color forming in their hands as they went. Their emotionless faces were focused completely on the shinobi moving at Orochimaru's command, only tiny smiles of lust appearing on their faces when Kagome grinned in such a way. They moved much quicker than expected, streaking across the area and clashing with Orochimaru's remaining shinobi before they reached the halfway mark.

One, a staff in hand, cracked the butt of her weapon into the skull of her first opponent. She wielded the weapon with ease, twisting on her foot to aim for another's throat, effectively snapping his neck in the process. A third opponent tried to go for her back, but as she thrust the staff backward, she caught him in the stomach. He did not die, she knew, so the clone twisted in his direction, and brought the staff down upon his unprotected head. The end of the staff shifted into a long, shining blade, and the head of the shinobi split open with ease.

The other Oto-nin appeared to take into account the strength the clones showed, and went for numbers. Four of them surrounded two of the clones, both of which had long whips dangling from their fingers to the ground. The four opponents did not phase the two clones, as they raised their arms in the same moment. They appeared to be copying each other, while they waited for their opponents to move. And when they did, the Oto-nin going in for the kill, they snapped the whips out in opposite directions, slicing open the throats of the two they had set their sights on.

Two of the eight remaining shinobi backed off, their instinct to run overriding their wish to follow orders. The cowards did not get far, though, as another clone spotted them. She sprang into the air, the long claws extending down her fingers glinting as she began to fall toward them. She landed on one, gripped his hair until his head snapped backward, and tore out his throat using the claws. The second was taken out when she launched herself from the corpse, dug the sharp talons into the man's back, and ripped a portion of the spine from her victim.

The blood spilled from the wounds of their victims, gushing out until the bodies were pale and sickly in appearance. It moved without a command, traveling up the bodies of each clone and creating red armor. Masks were the first items to appear, hiding any emotions that they might show, followed by the normal guards that most shinobi wore. However, as more blood filled the battlefield, spiked body armor slid into place and protected them, even when they might not need it.

Another clone spun a large, curved blade within her hands. Her sharpened eyes watched the battlefield with a keen determination, analyzing the final outcome of the battle. As she did so, she twisted the blade round and round, the shining red metal glinting wickedly, as if taunting those that might come near.

An Oto-nin appeared behind the clone, never noticing the swift glance that the other five gave him. The grip on his kunai tightened, and sweat appeared on his forehead. He knew quite well that he could not underestimate the clone, especially while watching the one holding the staff beat open the head of his comrade. So, with a flick of his wrist, he sent the kunai flying at the clone's back, quickly retreating to the forest before the clone retaliated.

The kunai flew straight and true, embedding itself into the back of the clone's neck. Almost instantly the blood armor slid apart, dripping to the ground, while the clone stiffened. A shudder raced through her, and the shinobi racing by at that moment was surprised when a large explosion of chakra was released from the clone's body. It was white in color, and struck out like blades, as the clone finally spoke.

"Dragon Twister."

The jutsu hidden deep within the clone's body burst forth, the thin twister that rose into the air pulsing and growing until it expanded across a twenty foot diameter. The massive twister was dark and forbidding, the purple winds appearing to pulse with their own animosity. Lightning flashed in the chakra-filled currents, the yellow coloration lightening up the dark twister with the shape of a roaming dragon.

Half of the remaining enemy shinobi were not able to fight against the prevailing winds. They were dragged from the ground, sucked within the twister, and the powerful winds drove away their screams. One other was taken when the clone he destroyed burst apart, a flaming pillar of fire rising up toward the sky when the chakra escaped her body. His flesh was burnt, and as he hurled himself away from the fire, he was caught within the malevolent current that threw him straight into the raging twister.

* * *

Temari shivered, retreating to where her youngest brother stood. Her eyes watched the twister rise into the air, and she saw the shaking of Kagome's shoulders when it rose. She bit her lip, unsure of the woman that she had saved. Temari had not expected her to be many of the things that she was now showing—allowing her colors to truly shine forth. And she certainly had not expected the fear that coursed through her, because it had been so long since she had felt anything like it.

Once, what seemed so long ago, she had been frightened of the creature that her brother was. Not necessarily of him, but of the demon that roamed inside his body and crept forth whenever it was able. She had been taught that he was nothing but a weapon, and she had seen the power that that weapon held and it frightened her. Temari hid those emotions away, determined to overcome it and show that she was not a frightened little girl, and in a small way had been relieved when the demon was stripped from Gaara.

Now, those emotions resurfaced, because she knew that Kagome was a jinchuuriki. The vessel to a demon that wanted blood, destruction, and the death of others from what she had seen. Yes, Kagome seemed to have a strong hold over the demon, pressing it down and determined not to give in, but one could only keep down something so powerful for so long. And because of that, Temari feared that it would not be long before the demon came forth and tried to kill them all.

But, most of all, Temari feared the white chakra that extended from Kagome's body and struck out. Because, if her analysis was correct, that chakra came from the demon inside of Kagome, and it was the reason that she suddenly disappeared from view.

* * *

"Where are you going, Sannin?"

Orochimaru paused in his flight, eyes scanning the area for where the little bitch was. He slid to a halt, watching as she phased into existence before him, a small, lustful grin on her face. He hissed at her appearance, cursing the fools that could not keep her at bay, and realized that he would have to stand his ground.

Kagome chuckled wickedly, saying, "I'm not done playing with you yet."

The remaining four clones came to her side obediently, one throwing down the corpse that she held within her hand. The body slid to a stop at his feet, but Orochimaru did not do much more than glance swiftly at the weakling. Though, he did take note that the blood was sliding from the man's mouth, nose, ears, and wounds, obviously following the bitch's command. And soon the body was nothing more than flesh and bones, not a drop of red liquid remaining within the man's corpse.

The blood moved, slipping up to the woman's side, and Kagome merely flicked her fingers to send it into action. She gave a low laugh, stating, "You are so interested in obtaining my jutsu and techniques, that I thought it would only be appropriate for you to meet the one that taught them to me. The one that once thought he ruled my life, only to learn that I had surpassed him long ago."

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed, watching the blood as it formed the shape of a man. He stood over Kagome's head, while the bitch began to say something under her breath. She made a few hand seals, and the body turned a brilliant shade of blue as she finished. The light faded after a moment, sinking into the body of the man, and slowly the red coloration drained away into other colors.

The man opened his dark eyes slowly, blinking rapidly at the sight before him. He lifted a hand, pressing it against his breast, and allowed a curious expression to cross his face. Then, almost as if he was experiencing a dream, he turned his eyes upon the woman who stepped to his side. A grin formed on his lips, while he lifted his hand to pet her hair.

Kagome swatted his hand away, a scowl forming on her face.

The man chuckled a little, casting his eyes back down to the body that he found himself within. Then, he said, "Ah, my daughter, it seems I might have taught you a little too well."

"Shut up, fool," she snapped. "You are here for one reason—to serve me. That is your punishment, and you will not speak until I tell you to."

"Such fire," he said almost lovingly. "It must have come from your mother, for I did not teach you to talk back to me."

"Shut up," Kagome growled. She was not in the mood for his teasing, his taunts, or his wish to make her the most powerful weapon beneath his rule. He was not alive, she ruled him, and he would listen to what she said. Especially now, when his voice drifted into her ears and her deep wish to make him understand death once more washed over her.

The man was not given a chance to reply, because a thick layer of blood coated over the lower half of his face. His eyes twinkled with praise, before he bowed a bit in mockery. After all, his body may be false, but his soul remembered and knew. He might have to do as she ordered, but her word had its limitations unless she decided to force her rule upon him. And he was so proud of his little weapon for having done thus, because she had always acted so lifeless and controllable, despite what her eyes had always tried to hide from him.

"You will help me play with the Sannin,  _father_ ," Kagome stated. "Your body holds enough chakra to help me do thus, and you  _will_  do it."

A low, evil laughter filled her head with the words that came from her lips. She tried to deny the demon access to her thoughts, but her lust for death allowed him to slip forward. " _Such a terrible move, little girl_ ," Houkou laughed. " _This man is the one you loathe the most, and you brought_  him  _forward. You must have a wish to let me free_."

She did not reply to the demon, as she forced down the urge to grin as she had seen the demon's image do. She was in control. Nothing, not a demon or her father, would make that any different. And she would be the one to kill the blasted Sannin that thought he could rule her. She would, and there would be no one that stood in her way.

" _Soon, little girl, soon_ ," Houkou taunted.

 _Go away!_  Kagome snarled. And forcefully, she threw the demon's thoughts away from her own. Regaining the precious control that she loved, that she craved, because she refused to be proved the weaker being. She refused to allow Houkou or her father to prove to her that she was nothing more than a little girl that could not control even her own body.

Kagome's father's eyes flickered over her knowingly, before settling onto the one she had called 'Sannin'. He did not look like much; so he did not understand the reason that his daughter did not just kill him. She had always killed the weaklings that he deemed no longer needed, and she had always completed the missions he had given her within the smallest amount of time. She had never wished to play with them, and he supposed that Houkou must have begun to leak forth.

Perhaps his seal was beginning to crack.

Orochimaru watched as they both slid into a stance, while the clones surrounded the battlefield they would use. He knew that the bitch would not let him go, which meant he would need to bring her under control before she managed to hit him with a deathblow. After all, he did not plan on dying now—not after so many years of perfecting his ability to transfer his soul into another body. So, he watched them with a keen eye, recognizing the way they mirrored each other's movements.

Father and daughter moved nearly as one, each taking the same step forward and thrusting out their arm. Blood roared upward at their movement, shifting into the shape of a giant animal. It could not be described as a certain type of animal, for it melted and formed until it appeared to be a cross between several different animals. However, despite the horrid appearance, it struck out with the ferocity of each animal combined into one, slamming into the ground a moment after the Sannin had moved.

The blood-users showed clearly that they had trained relentlessly together, as they twisted in opposite directions, the blood rearing up once more at their movements. It swarmed around the Sannin, creating a tomb that snapped inward to crush whatever might be inside. However, it was clear that the attack had been in vain, for already they could sense that a kill had not been made. The Sannin had made a quick escape, and now it was only a matter of finding where he had gone.

Twisting on her foot, Kagome lifted her arm, a thick layer of blood rising up to block the jutsu that had been sent at her. The earth crashed into the thick wall she had created, before the blood washed over it and swallowed it whole. Kagome's fingers curled inward toward her palm, her eyes narrowing, before she pivoted on her right foot, directing her fist in that direction. And almost instantly another wall of blood rose up to protect her, and a satisfied smile crossed her face.

" _Seems to me that you're still playing with the little man_ ," Houkou growled. " _I thought you had planned to kill him. But it appears, stupid girl, that you cannot keep a promise_."

Quickly stepping back, her back leaning up against the new body her father's soul resided within for the time, she huffed. Her attention turned to the demon inside of her for only a moment, as she stated,  _I made no promise to you_.

Houkou snarled. He replied, " _I will get free. Mark my words, little one. I will get free_."

Her blood pumped faster, her eyes nearly wild as a rush of chakra swarmed through her body. Her hearing heightened, as she turned her eyes onto where the Sannin chose to appear. Her sharp sight easily held him captive, and he froze for a single second within the hold, before he managed to shake away the genjutsu. However, Kagome was already moving, her father easily mirroring her movements after years of training her.

White chakra flooded from her body, twisting and turning, while she raced toward the Sannin. He seemed to move in slow motion, as Kagome pushed herself from the ground. Her father was quick to follow, but she had already twisted in the air and extended her leg out by the time he had launched himself into the air to deliver a similar blow as the one she intended. And so, Kagome's connected before her father's, but his soon followed, and the heels of their sandals dug into the Sannin's shoulders.

That was, until he disappeared in a poof of smoke. Leaves scattered on the ground where he had once stood, and Kagome scowled at the technique. She should have noticed that he had planned a substitution, but it appeared that her need was meddling with her thoughts a little too much. So, without a second thought, she mentally shoved both it and the demon trying to converse with her further into her mind once more.

Haruko glanced at his daughter once more, delighting in the knowledge that she was finally giving into the demon inside of her. It was a joy to know that she controlled it so much better than most ever would, but to see her finally lose control was a different wonder all its own. It sent shivers down his false body, for he knew that with that power he had created the greatest weapon the Higure Clan could have ever hoped to have. He had done it all to see his flesh and blood sit within Kumogakure laughing from the Raikage's seat.

To finally prove that the Higurashi blood was the greatest—that they could rule the world of shinobi if they so wished it.

Houkou struggled forward, a deep snarl resonating from his cage. His chakra continued to leak forth, filling his foolish vessel with the need to kill—to give into him. He pawed at her mind, penetrating her thoughts, and chuckled, " _Do not think you can get rid of me, stupid girl. I am never going away, and soon—so, so soon—I shall be the one that directs the movements of this body_."

A deep, gruesome red pupil flashed within Kagome's eyes, as a thick snarl escaped from her throat. She felt the demon press forth, chakra swarming underneath her flesh, but she refused to give up the control she had worked so hard for. She had trained endlessly for it, her hatred for those that said they loved her fueling her forward, and she was not about to let it go now. Not for a demon that was sealed inside her body, and not for anyone that thought they could take it from her.

" _So, so soon_ ," Houkou's lingering voice mocked. He was growing distant, the blood pounding in her ears drowning him out, and Kagome was glad for that. A bit of peace in her mind would do her good, even though she happily used the chakra the demon supplied.

White chakra swarmed from her body, striking the earth and creating deep gorges. It signaled that more was going on than anyone could see, even as the emotionless Kagome turned her eyes upon her father. And they watched, confusion and curiosity ruling their minds, as the jinchuuriki took an advancing step toward him. Her eyes flashed once more, the dark red pupil fading through, while she sneered in hatred. It appeared that while the malevolent chakra struck out at the land around her, she had lost her mind.

And no one had a reason to doubt it.

* * *

Orochimaru fended off the clone that blocked his path, quickly finding a way to knock aside the staff it held and blast it. He was prepared for the jutsu that might come from the clone's destruction, and raised a wall of earth before the large cloud of lightning had a chance to strike him. A hiss left his mouth once the lightning died away, for another clone had taken the original's place, tightening the grip she had on the whip in her grasp.

Stepping back, he knew that the clone would not follow him as long as he did not try to break away from the circle they had created. He scowled at them, counting out that only the two that held whips were still alive. However, the weapons they held were more deadly than they originally appeared, as the strength of their arms cut the tips of their weapon deep into the ground each time they struck out. Each attack could very well take his arm or leg, and at the moment he was not willing to risk losing such a limb.

Casting out another shadow snake, Orochimaru watched as the clone easily destroyed it with a flick of her wrist. She stared at him without emotion, her eyes blank. Yet he had to force down the need to shudder, because he knew that she had a deep lust for his blood. She did not attack because she was ordered to keep him within the circle, but he knew. The clone was exactly like her creator, a bitch that wanted only to see the world stained red.

The clone flicked the whip in warning once more, grazing it along the ground at his feet. Orochimaru hissed at her, and did not even turn when he sensed the second whip coming at his back. He slid to the side, further into the circle, watching as another line was scored deep into the earth. They were obviously setting boundaries, each line a statement—cross and die. And at the moment he was not willing to risk the chance, even if he was confident in his ability to slip past them both.

Curiosity gripped him after a moment, wondering why it was that he had been so preoccupied with only the bitch's clones. He had expected her to come for his life once more, along with her animated father, yet she had not. So, he turned on his heel to see what she had up her sleeve this time. She had to be planning something—she was  _so_  determined—if she ever thought to take his life in the end.

Not that he would give her that chance.

Orochimaru did not find what he had expected to see, though. His eyes narrowed at the sight of Kagome popping the knuckles of one hand, stretching the tendons, while she faced the one she had brought back from the dead. Her entire body radiated with her hatred, her bloodlust, even when she appeared to be an emotionless being. And it was so much stronger than what came from her clones that Orochimaru felt a faint shiver race up his arms.

It was illogical. He should not be afraid of that little girl. She would never be able to kill him. He just needed a little time to find the perfect way to counter her blood technique, and then he would have his pretty little bride and his new body. He could do it while fighting against her, but he preferred to find such methods while he did not have another striking at his heart. That was the only reason he felt the need to retreat, because he sneered at the very thought that that little bitch could have gained enough power in her short life to kill him.

He was a Sannin. And in comparison, she was nothing but a little brat that did not get the love she thought she deserved. He was destined for immortality, while either someone with more power or natural death would snuff out her life. He did not face such a problem, and that was exactly why he saw no reason—at least not a logical one—to fear such a child.

He watched, however, his observation skills keen and focused. He watched as she stepped forward once more, her father merely standing straight as he stared her in the eye. She cracked her knuckles again, the claws on the tips of her fingers extending a bit further from her hand, while a snarl worked its way from her throat. He scoffed, because she was much more like the dog housed inside of her than she probably realized—one that needed to be beaten down and shown its place. Yet, despite that fact, he was very curious over the reason she had suddenly turned on her own ally.

"Dearest father," her voice was like sweet venom. "How long has it been since you died? To you it probably seems like such a long time—so long that you can't even remember the day anymore—but to me it seems like so little time has gone by. It feels like I just killed you yesterday, yet I know that is not right, and it makes me angry to see you standing there once more."

The thick layer of blood that had formed over the Higurashi Head's mouth slowly slid away so he could speak. His eyes spoke volumes, telling all how proud he was of his creation. He clearly approved of her sudden change in attention, wishing to show him that even now she hated him. Even now she wished death upon him. And it was  _almost_  sickening.

"Yes, time no longer registers for me." As he spoke, it was clear that Kagome tensed at his voice. More chakra pumped from her body, slithering around her in random formations that meant absolutely nothing at all. "I am sure you are aware of that,  _pet_."

Kagome snarled, a red pupil flashing into her eyes once more. She replied, "Do not call me by such a degrading name,  _Haruko_. I do not belong to you."

Haruko laughed deeply, his expression finally fading into madness. It was clear where his daughter got it from, even as it seeped into his voice when he spoke once more. He said, "Oh, my daughter, how completely wrong you are! You are my flesh and blood! You are my creation—whether it is that you are my weapon, my jinchuuriki, or my daughter! You are mine!"

The dark red pupil began to leak completely into Kagome's eyes the more he spoke. Orochimaru hissed lightly, watching as the chakra around her body finally began to take form. It smoothed over, slowly melding and shifting around her frame until it appeared that a large fog had clouded her body. It had no shape yet, but if his assumption was correct, soon it would take on the appearance of a dog, signaling that the demon had finally broke free.

In his fit of madness, Higurashi Haruko shouted, "You will never escape me!"

It was the last words he spoke, for Kagome was upon him within seconds. Her claws sank deep into his shoulders while he laughed hysterically. He did not try to stop her, to push her away, and was silenced only when her claws ripped out his voice. Even then, while his fake body was still held solid by the one that had created it, he shook beneath her. Whether it was because he was still laughing or because his soul could feel pain, Orochimaru was not sure.

However, he was completely positive that somewhere Kagome had lost her frame of mind. She was falling into the hold of the demon that had been sealed inside of her, and Orochimaru decided that now would be the time to break free of her little watchdogs. He had no plans of meeting with the demon trapped inside her body, especially when he knew that the demon would not hesitate.

Houkou was bloodthirsty, and having been caged for so long, Orochimaru was not about to be his first victim.

* * *

Metal holds her upright, the thick chains digging into her flesh. She glares, no longer containing the strength to struggle. Her arms move forward a bit, pulled by some unseen force, and she instantly locks her eyes onto the person who had done it. The man who keeps her chained for his own sick pleasure, delighting in the fact that flesh and blood is something she cannot run from.

"I told you," he says slowly, "you can never escape me."

She spits in his face, and delight fills her as she watches the thick stream of salvia slide down his face. Her pleasure ends when he wipes it away, but she still feels the need to torment him. Make him suffer. "Never think you can control me," she snarls.

He is suddenly in her face, his hot breath beating against her. His eyes are wild, insane, and it becomes clear where hers might have come from. "I would think that I raised you well enough to know the answer to that thought," he sneers. "I am the only one who controls you, and I  _always_  control you."

She tries to tilt forward, trying to shove her face further into his. However, the chain around her neck is yanked and keeps her still. "You are a fool,  _father_." She hisses, "You can never control me. You will die before you ever do."

"Oh." He seems to change his tactic. "Do not be that way, my daughter. I know that you wish to believe such a thing, but you are just  _so_  stupid that you cannot see—"

A shadow looms over him, and she feels the metal holding her snap. She slumps to the ground, and does not raise her head fast enough to see the reason he screams. She does not see what ends his miserable life, but she shivers at the sensation of blood splattering on her shoulders and head.

Something large and heavy settles on the ground behind her. She keeps her head down, even when a snout appears in her sight and pushes her backward. She falls into glistening white fur, the soft material bringing her comfort, and she does not resist because of the fatigue that washes over her. However, she makes a sound in the back of her throat.

"Sh, my pup," the dog says. His voice is a sound that relaxes her, while his thick, fluffy tail drapes across her. "There is no reason to fear anymore. Houkou will make the nightmares go away. He will protect you, so there is no reason to worry. Just sleep, and Houkou  _will_  keep the bad man at bay."

She tries to keep her eyes open, something warning her against his command. The dog wraps her in his protective warmth, though, and sleep tugs at her soul.

"Sleep," Houkou whispers, his nose brushing against her hair. "Just sleep, and Houkou will make everything better."

Almost as if a spell was cast, her eyes slip closed and she feels her body settle into the land of dreams. Strange, though, because she knows that it has been so long since she dreamed so peacefully. It has been so long since anything other than blood has tainted her mind, and she smiles softly as she snuggles deep into the dog's fur coat.

When she has drifted off, the dog's eyes flash, and a cruel smile spreads across his face. He incases his vessel until he is positive she will not awaken, and then surges forth.

Finally, he is in control.

* * *

Slowly, she rose to her feet, and Gaara signaled once more for the shinobi to hold their ground. His eyes watched as the thick chakra around her finally molded itself until features could be distinguished within the white mass. The head extended until it resembled a dog with long cropped ears, and the transformation continued until the long tail formed. Gaara had a suspicion of what it meant—he was positive the demon had broken free—and he wondered if he should signal a retreat.

No, he decided. He did not know much about the demon sealed inside of Kagome, and he doubted that he would ever get the chance to. However, from what he knew of Shukaku, he knew it would not be wise to run. Even a small amount of shinobi fleeing would bring the demon's attention toward them, and it might forget all about the Sannin the large head turned toward. And, since it was a predator, it would no doubt want the chance to chase something now that it was released.

Gaara did not want the thing that it chased to be them. He had been charged with the safety of the shinobi surrounding him, and though they would give their lives for him, he would not risk sending Konoha-nin into battle with a demon vessel. Well, except for one—Naruto. And only because he was a vessel himself, which might be a reason to let Sasuke fight as well—Orochimaru's curse mark gave him some demon qualities.

He frowned, though, because he supposed that it would be better to risk sending the shinobi back to the village. If they could manage to sneak away without—no, he decided once more. The demon would sense them long before they got out of range, and the thought of a longer chase might just entice it into attacking them even more. Kagome's heightened abilities, from what he had seen, proved that much, since he did not doubt she had gotten most of them from the demon inside of her.

Kagome's body turned completely toward the Sannin after a moment, the chakra image of a dog following her every movement. When she growled, finally speaking, Gaara almost wanted to curse. He had had a small hope that Kagome had manage to cling to her control, but it appeared that his hope was in vain. The voice that left her throat was proof enough that she was no longer just Higurashi Kagome, but something much, much more nasty.

"You seem very interested in  _me_ , Sannin."

Strange, Gaara had never heard of a demon speaking through the vessel it was contained within. Yes, Shukaku managed to speak, but only when he forced himself into a state of sleep to allow the demon to roam free completely. And the words never left his mouth—though, Shukaku did manipulate many of his thoughts. Yet the demon inside of Kagome managed to do so, using her voice and her mouth to speak as it wished.

"You also seem very interested in my power, but I am not surprised. All weak, foolish humans wish to gain my power, hoping that they will have a chance to gain more in life. Whether it is followers, money, fame, or some other nonsense, they all wish to hold it in their greedy hands and claim it as their own."

Kagome's head lifted, but Gaara knew that it was Houkou that now controlled the action. "It is a shame,  _Sannin_. My stupid little girl has played so well with you, yet still she has not managed to spill much of your blood. She plays so well, but you have proved to be a fine opponent by escaping death for so long. However, I am not like my stupid little girl, and I shall not allow you to escape until this land has ran red with your blood. But even then, I shall only allow you to escape into death, for only it is greater than I."

Orochimaru's voice drifted over the once again silent battlefield, taunting the demon. He said, "I have always known it to be Kyuubi that is the strongest being, making death only greater than  _him_."

Houkou snarled, and the clones that stood behind Orochimaru snarled along with the demon. Both of them were already changing, the coloration of skin and clothing fading away until they appeared to be blood once more. Their faces stretched outward, and long, cropped ears slowly formed on top of their heads while they flashed the fangs inside their mouths. They bent over, placing their hands onto the ground, and looked more like dogs than humans.

One sprang forward, Orochimaru barely twisting out of the path of the clones snapping fangs. The beast hit the ground, turning to hiss and snarl, while digging the claws on the tip of its fingers deep into the earth. However, Gaara's eyes moved to where the second beast knelt, for more of the blood beasts were forming behind and around it. They all snarled, baring fangs, and appeared to be nothing more than a large wall of impending death.

"I'm afraid,  _Sannin_ ," Houkou mocked, "that unlike my vessel, I will not be so merciful when it comes to your petty little jokes. Kyuubi is  _nothing_  compared to me. He is a fool that will die once your blood has drained from your body. He will  _never_  be able to stand against me."

"Oh?" Orochimaru asked. "I highly doubt that, considering you only have one tail."

Houkou laughed, the sound filled with a deep promise of horror and death. Kagome's head tilted backward with the demon's command, his laughter escaping from her throat in the tone of her voice. Gaara found it as disturbing as he found it fascinating.

Slowly, the white chakra twisted, extended, and another two tails formed behind the dog. The three tails whipped together, while the laughter continued to spill from Kagome's mouth. Then, once Houkou had made a show of it, the demon said, "There are things my vessel learned more from me than her stupid little family,  _Sannin_. One of these things is manipulating others into thinking what you wish them to think. Being the master of what you would call genjutsu that I am, I was the perfect teacher for her, as you have witnessed."

Orochimaru took a noticeable step backward, and Gaara noticed that the wall of clones hissed in delight. Their dark, lusting eyes spoke only of their wish to see blood and death, and clearly they wanted the Sannin to step back into their grasp. They wanted to pull him deep into the core of their swarm and tear him apart, feasting upon his blood and sucking him dry. They wanted to be the ones that took his life, but a deep growl from Kagome's throat quieted them.

Gaara's eyes flickered to Naruto when he heard another growl escape from his throat. He narrowed his eyes, wondering at the hatred that Houkou and Kyuubi must have for each other. It was clear that the two demons did not have any like for one another, especially when Houkou stated that he would be the one to kill Kyuubi. Though, from what Gaara knew, Naruto had managed to unlock four of Kyuubi's nine tails, making him stronger than Houkou currently if he chose to use them all.

Then again, there was the issue of thought process that came into account.

Kyuubi was malevolent, a destroyer. From all reports Gaara had been given to fuel his curiosity of the other jinchuuriki, he knew that Kyuubi attacked relentlessly, never really seeming to think about what his next move would be. It was understandable, since he had been locked away for so long inside of Naruto, but the fact that he relied more on his power and strength than a solid plan could get both him and Naruto killed. Especially since this new demon, Houkou, seemed to be malevolent, but he appeared to be more of the type to lean on a plan that would allow him the victory in the end.

And truly, that could be a factor that decided which of the two jinchuuriki would win should they ever face one another. Houkou's intelligence, despite the fact that he had one less tail when he broke free, could be the factor that overpowered Kyuubi's strength. It would be something that he would have to relay to Tsunade, if only to make sure that the two did not go for each other's throats, for no doubt the Hokage would not be pleased if Houkou did manage to kill Kyuubi.

Houkou laughed a bit more, the three tails whipping behind him. Finally, one of Kagome's hands settled on the ground, the demon crouching over as he stared at the Sannin. "But do not worry,  _Sannin_. Though I could easily kill you with genjutsu, I find it more fun to, well, feel the blood of my victim sliding down my throat," the demon chuckled.

Almost as if it had been planned, one of Orochimaru's remaining two shinobi stumbled out onto the battlefield from his hiding place among the trees. Gaara nearly scowled, for he had made sure that a few of the patrol squad had remained within the forest to kill any escaping Oto-nin. Clearly, though, as the man walked forward, they had either missed him or been waiting for him to actually try and flee. It would have been best if they just killed him, especially with what occurred once he came within leaping distance from the horde of blood beasts.

The Oto-nin walked as if hypnotized, and from the look in his eyes he very well could have been. His steps were uneven, and he nearly tripped over his own foot a few times. His vision remained locked on the mass of clones staring at him as if he were a piece of meat. Then, once he was a reasonable distance away, he stopped and spread his arms wide. He looked as if he was offering himself to the clones, and the look in his eye, the fact that he showed no fear of death, told many that he probably did not even know what he was doing.

The beast that had attacked Orochimaru crept forward, waiting for a snap to call it off. The snout snapped a few times, tasting the air, and it growled from deep in its throat. Then, without any provocation, it raced forward and leapt upon the man. The snapping jaw opened when they both hit the ground, and clamped around the Oto-nin's throat. A single tug tore him open, blood gushing forth as the man appeared to choke, and it was in that moment that the rest of the swarm joined in.

The clones crowded around the fallen shinobi, clearly tearing at his flesh. A few moved away with bones that had been ripped from his body, blood and gore dripping from the edges as they gnawed away like the dogs they resembled. It took only moments before they finally moved away, licking lips and satisfied with their kill, showing that only a large spot of blood remained on the ground. But even that was swept away as Kagome's jutsu added the blood to the large amount that Houkou now controlled.

Gaara's eyes watched, fascinated with the entire scene, memories flooding his mind. He remembered a time when Shukaku had been inside his body, pushing and pulling until finally the demon managed to gain control, and after that he remembered only blood. The blood of his victim, the body ripped apart and lying broken where he had left him, flashed through his mind. He had been disgusted with himself, having tasted the blood of another human, so he was not quite sure as to why watching the clones that were mixed between Kagome and Houkou fascinated him so much.

After a moment, though, he blamed it on Shukaku's influence.

* * *

Houkou placed his new body's other hand onto the ground, and within a flash he was gone. A deep laughter filled the area as the demon moved, the earth rumbling with each step that he took. His laughter brought clouds, tumbling over themselves, until finally thunder rolled along with his deep laugh, and rain began to pelt the ground. The land grew darker, more threatening, and Orochimaru was given little warning to move when the demon struck.

The chakra that resembled the true form of the beast moved with the girl's body, as Kagome's mouth opened and clamped her fangs into the Sannin's shoulder. Orochimaru screamed, barely able to rip himself away, as the snarling demon dug claws into his side and arm, while the sandals she wore scrapped across his stomach in her bent position. He retaliated a moment later, trying to sink his fangs into her neck, but the demon rolled away and crouched down for another lunge.

Orochimaru stepped away, seeing the world reflecting in those black eyes, and knowing that within them his death awaited. However, he had survived death many times before, and he was not willing to give in so easily. He prepared himself and used the rain falling to create the water dragon that he blasted at her. He cursed himself, though, when the dragon stopped just before hitting the demon and turning back to come at him.

He had never truly cared what Houkou controlled, but he supposed that he was about to get his answer. The dragon was growing in size, the turning waters foaming over and telling him that it was much more powerful than what he had originally created. He moved just in time, allowing it to strike the ground, and jumped when the waters spilled out and flooded the land. The demon had more tricks, though, as the waters underneath him lifted up like hands and grasped at him.

Using fire, Orochimaru turned the water to steam. It worked until he sensed the demon flying at him once more, and was forced to twist away from the claws that would have shredded his face off. The water reached up to grasp him once more, clearly wishing to bind him, and he struck out with fire once more. The steam rose around him, clouding his vision, but he was surprised when he saw the faint red through the fog, which grew until he was forced to use substitution to escape the large vortex of flames.

Hitting the ground, he looked around, finding the demon standing before him. Houkou's deadly eyes gazed at him, while the clones stood far behind him, appearing to be one large wall of darkness with flashing red eyes. Their snarling almost bothered him, while he tried to decipher what Houkou's next move would be. He tried to remain calm, but the longer the demon stood there, taunting him, the more time he had to allow fear to grip his heart.

"So," Orochimaru laughed to keep the fear from truly penetrating him. "You're strength is genjutsu, water, and fire is it? Truly, I think that is pathetic compared to the Kyuubi no Youko."

The demon growled, saying, "You like to think you know so much,  _Sannin_. However, you are wrong." With the demons words, lightning crashed down, and Orochimaru was forced to jump away once more. "I control genjutsu, yes. However, my strength lies in my ability to control the elements. Fire, water, wind, earth, and lightning. I control them all, and with practiced ease."

The wind began to roar, blades forming and crashing into the spot where Orochimaru had just stood. He was forced to move again the next moment, when the wind suddenly changed direction and tried to tear him apart once more. A few of the blades managed to slice at the back of his legs, causing him to hiss at the shallow wounds.

Lightning joined in the game the next second, rushing down from the sky to take a jab at him. Orochimaru barely escaped the blast, as it hit the ground, sending debris flying high in the air. It blocked his vision much like the fog had, but he was not expecting for the small particles to suddenly turn upon him. The dirt halted in midair, and the next moment Orochimaru felt searing pain as the small particles embedded themselves into his skin.

He landed a moment later, glancing down to find that he appeared to be littered with holes. Tiny little holes that had ripped deep into his muscles, yet clearly were not destined to take his life. He hissed, finding the horde of clones close to his left, but could not find the demon. His eyes flickered again, knowing that it should not be hard to find such a powerful chakra, and his eyes widened.

Kagome's clawed hand burst from the ground underneath his feet, grabbing his ankle and ripping into the soft tissue. The demon rose up a moment later, fangs flashing, as Orochimaru struggled to get away. The fangs embedded themselves into his thigh, the demon holding him tightly, before Orochimaru tried to curse Kagome's body once more. The demon only released him to escape the bite, growling with blood dribbling down Kagome's slender throat, before he lunged for his jugular.

Orochimaru leapt into the air to escape the assault, unleashing a horde of snakes upon the demon when he finished the hand seals. The demon was not deterred from chasing him, ripping through the snakes and leaping through the air as if he ruled the sky itself. He rolled away from the next swarm of snakes, allowing them to arch back to attack him behind, but a platform formed underneath the demon's feet and he easily sped forth until Orochimaru raised his arm to defend against the attack.

The fangs tore into his arm, the demon only wanting his blood, before the snakes managed to catch up. The demon turned to kill them, giving Orochimaru only a second to perform a substitution. However, he was not so lucky, for when he landed, the demon was already upon him. How in the world it moved with such speed, Orochimaru was not sure, but he assumed the elements were helping quite a bit.

Orochimaru screamed, while the demon tore at his back, and barely managed to escape. When he reappeared, he was dripped with blood from his back, and staring at the demon that spat his blood onto the ground. Houkou chuckled afterward, his eyes focusing on him, and Orochimaru wondered when his plan to bring Kagome under his rule had spiraled so out of control.

"You taste very bad,  _Sannin_ ," Houkou stated. "Your blood isn't good enough to drink, but I suppose that is because your body is already beginning to rot away, isn't it? You've transferred your soul so many times that your body is deteriorating at a much faster pace then normal." Houkou's eyes twinkled, while he looked upon the Sannin's surprised expression. "Oh, don't look so surprised. You seem to forget that my little girl was raised by a pack of blood users, the wisest knowing the art of stealing ones soul. You cannot expect that after so many years I would not pick up a few things from simply watching through her."

Orochimaru stepped away, the rain continuing to drench him and the clouds turning the world to black. After a moment, however, he realized there was more to the reason that the world was turning black on him. His eyes remained locked with the demon's, he could not look away, and his mind instantly told him that he had fallen into Houkou's trap.

"I have lived long enough to know that a person's blood is as good as their soul. Not in the sense of good and evil, but the youth that comes with the body. Your soul is so old, been transferred so many times to keep yourself from dying, that the blood inside each body probably tasted the same. Like sour milk that has had diseased flesh rotting in it for days at a time. And it all tells me one thing,  _Sannin_ ," Houkou continued. "It is your time to die."

Orochimaru could not move, he could not speak, because he was pulled deep into what Houkou wished for him to experience. All he knew was the sickening grasp of fear, and the hands that grabbed a hold of him from all sides. The world was filled with darkness and fire, death and heat, and it was all that he could do to not be consumed completely by it. A scream wanted to force its way from his throat, but he could not manage to do so, even when a thousand different pains coursed through him, none of them his own.

"You tried to make my vessel experience the fear of death earlier,  _Sannin_ ," Houkou said. "You did not put into account, though, that I am much more powerful than yourself. So, I think it only fitting that you know what will await you, though the death I am showing you is what a demon knows all souls will eventually find themselves within. For we have walked in the valley of the dead, and we know that only those who are truly innocent will be spared from horrors such as what you will no doubt experience."

Sickening, bony hands tugged him in all directions, each new hand bringing forth another horror that he did not wish to experience. His life flashed before his eyes, while faded images of death coursed in the background. He saw himself dying, a hundred million ways, each more gruesome than the last, and he understood finally what it was like to lose all hope. To know that death had come and accepted it, and Orochimaru reached that point without fail.

Houkou laughed again, saying, "You are weak, human. You did not even last a few seconds, and already your soul has decided that it is time for you to die. What a waste of good time, I say. At least one who would have held on and cried, whimpered to live would have given me a small amount of amusement."

The beasts that seemed to have faded into the darkness moved forward, a flash of lightning showing their forms. The mouths were all oozing what should have been drool, while they licked their chops and waited. Claws dug deep into the ground, while they held still as death, each muscle drawn tight within their bodies, ready to spring upon what they hoped would be their victim. Eyes watched, even as bodies faded back into the darkness, their red gleam giving them a haunting appearance that would strike fear into the heart of anyone faced against them.

Houkou moved, his vessel's body easily maneuvered as if it truly was his own, and turned away from the Sannin. The human was not worth his time, even though his vessel had been so keen on playing with him before she killed him. In his opinion, the man was not even worth the time of his vessel. He was worth  _nothing_.

"Kill him."

A simple command, and the blood beasts leapt into action. They raced forth, fangs flashing in the pulses of lightning that lit the sky, and grasped onto the stunned man that had given up his will to live. Claws and fangs ripped into his already bleeding flesh, as they dragged him deep into their masses. He disappeared with the only scream he was allowed to make as the genjutsu fell from around him, and the swarm devoured him.

The clouds opened up above their heads, the rain slowing until it no longer poured, and the wind died down. Houkou's influence over the elements was precise and without even a word they moved at his command. However, the wind picked up a bit more when Houkou turned toward the remaining shinobi in the area, having already sent the pack of beasts after the final Oto-nin, smirking a bit.

He laughed when his eyes locked with the sky blue of Kyuubi's container. "So," he stated. "This is what has become of the great and terrible Kyuubi? The demon that said mere humans would never lock him away? The fool that thought himself so far above the others of his kind, that he would go to the lengths to make sure another was sealed away? The master of chakra that never seemed to realize that despite his nine tails, he was weak compared to the very elements around him?"

The boy growled a little.

"Isn't it strange, Kyuubi?" Houkou asked. "That nearly a year after you sealed me away, you were sealed yourself. I know you can hear me, so don't try to deny it in there. I can smell the age of your mortal's flesh, and I know he is only so much younger than my girl. Which means, I may have been sealed after a battle with another demon, but you were sealed in your complete strength and power. In that moment, did you realize that you were weak, Kyuubi? Did you realize which of us was the greater demon?"

Houkou stopped for only a moment, bringing up Kagome's hand to smear the blood away from her lips. "No," he finally continued. "You did not. I know, because you are an arrogant fool that will always think you are greater than the rest of us. You think that your nine tails make you special, but in truth they make you a fool. They cloud your mind, and now, when you are locked up inside that little cage, it will be so easy to show you how much of a fool you actually are."

Houkou moved, claws snapping outward as he raced toward Kyuubi's vessel. He snarled, ready to take the life of the one that was responsible for him being stuffed inside his little girl's mind. The one that had made sure that he was sealed away, never to toy with his mind again. Never to try and cast another genjutsu on him to make him fear for his very life. Never to breathe again, to eat, to spend time by his ancient tree, or to do any of the things that he had truly enjoyed. All because he did not wish for another demon to challenge him, to try and prove that he was greater, but Houkou knew.

Houkou knew that Kyuubi was going to  _die_.

Red sand shifted, and in his distraction of imagining Kyuubi's death, it swarmed up around his vessel's body and trapped him. Houkou snarled in anger, when it tried to settle around his neck. His eyes locked with those of the boy that interested his vessel, and he hissed, "Release me, human."

"No."

Houkou struggled, but the sand was relentless. He felt his vessel stirring from the sleep he had managed to induce in her, and no doubt it was because of the sand. He dared not command it elsewhere, though he knew that his manipulation was much stronger than the previous vessel of Shukaku, for he would end up killing the human. And, though he often taunted his vessel often, the girl was his creation, his pup, because it was him that truly molded her.

Houkou, as the sand sucked the air from his lungs, cursed his blasted heart. He had never had any pack, never wished to create any, yet he cared for his stupid little girl. He cared for her, despite the way he often spoke with her, and he did not wish to take away the one thing that was beginning to make her happy. The one thing that she truly felt happiness while around, though she did not know what the emotion was after so many years of knowing only hatred and despair.

So, with the last of his breath, he hissed, "You are lucky, Shukaku, that my vessel has taken such an interest in you. Otherwise, I would kill you without a care, and delight in the taste of your blood. But mark my words," the lack air in his vessel's human lungs was making it hard to speak, "I will be back. I will get my revenge. Kyuubi  _will_  die."

Finally, his vessel stirred within him, while the lack of oxygen caused the human body he found himself within to pass out. Houkou faded into darkness, shoved once more into his cage, but he vowed to be back. He would fight his vessel tooth and nail to gain control once more, if only to see Kyuubi fall.

He would, and he would win.


	23. Twenty-Two

Tsunade scowled a little, thinking over the predicament that had arisen within the last hour. Emotions rushed through her system, while she rested her chin onto her laced fingers. She knew that she was being watched by the shinobi currently assembled, but she could not help but stop and think for a moment.

Orochimaru was dead.

A jinchuuriki lay unconscious within her hospital.

The demon trapped inside of the woman held a strong hatred for Kyuubi.

More importantly, though, there was a high chance that the demon had not been sealed again. The woman would awaken, but in her place could be a demon that would stop at nothing to kill Kyuubi. The demon would destroy her village, her home, and all to gain revenge.

Tsunade had already begun to stress those issues. She had dispatched a group of hunter-nin to destroy any evidence of Konoha and Oto-nin within the battlefield. She had sent four off duty ANBU to keep guard over the jinchuuriki sleeping peacefully within her hospital. And she had ordered three of her best medic-nin to check the woman regularly. She made sure that on that shift was a Hyuuga medic, continuously searching for any hints of oddly colored chakra.

She was not going to make any mistakes, not when her village could be in danger.

Finally, she asked, "So, the girl really is a demon vessel?"

The Kazekage nodded, saying, "Yes."

Naruto raised his hands up in front of his face. He could not believe that Tsunade had just asked the same question  _again_. She had been saying basically the same thing for the last ten minutes, trying to find a way to solve every problem that had been thrown at her. And Naruto was sick of it. So, he shouted, " _Yes_. You should have been there, Tsunade-baa-chan. She was all like 'rwar' and then Houkou made her clones look like animals and then he—"

Tsunade raised a scroll from her desk, and reared her hand back. Setting her sight onto the boy, she released the item much like she would a weapon. It hit him square in the forehead, and she rolled her eyes at the sudden whine that left his mouth.

"Tsunade- _baa_ -chan!" Naruto whimpered. "What was that for?"

"I've already heard the story, Naruto. I don't need you to repeat it," she stated angrily.

" _But_ —"

"Naruto, this is not a time to be goofing off," Tsunade finally snapped, rising from her seat. She might see the young shinobi as an annoying little brother, but she was not going to let him think this was not important. "This is a serious situation that could turn very ugly in a matter of moments. I need you to think  _before_  you act, and calm down because though one threat to the village is dead, we could have an even more dangerous one on our hands now. And I will not have this village destroyed because one shinobi was  _too_  stupid to act like an adult for once!"

The shinobi present shivered a little; it was clear that Tsunade might need to follow her own advice.

Tsunade looked ready to yell some more, when Kakashi coughed behind his hand. The angry Hokage's attention turned away from the cowering Naruto, and settled upon him, but Kakashi merely shrugged it off. "Tsunade-sama, I think we should consider the possibility that Akatsuki could find out Gobi no Houkou is within the village," he stated calmly, flipping a page in his book.

Gaara's eyes flickered to the jounin, narrowing. He was not sure why, but the very thought angered him. And it took nearly every ounce of energy he had not to show his displeasure, especially from the glance Temari sent him. No doubt the look was because of the last words Houkou had said, but Gaara did not think there was anything to talk about. Houkou had said Kagome was interested in him, that did not mean it was anything more, and even if it did, that did not mean he wished to explore the possibility.

Temari scowled at the look that crossed her brother's face. He was stubborn when he wanted to be, but Temari was positive that if Kagome started to show her interest in a different way, he would crack. Even if only a little, it would be a start for him. A beginning that Temari wanted to see, because in the end it would make her brother happy.

Though, she would have never guessed it might be with someone like the dog vessel she had picked up. Hell, she had not even thought the bloodied woman she had gathered onto her back would make much of a difference in their lives. But, Temari was glad she was wrong.

Sighing, Tsunade sat back down. Settling her chin back onto her hands, she nodded. "Yes, there is also the possibility that Akatsuki will now be traveling this way. I would not be surprised if they have already received the information."

"But, Kagome and Houkou killed anyone that might have tried to—" Naruto began.

"That doesn't mean there can't be spies for them here, Naruto," Sasuke said. "They could have been overlooked on the battlefield, or picked up the information by listening to someone who couldn't keep their mouth shut."

Naruto crossed his arms and nodded. Sasuke's words rang true, since there was the possibility that someone had managed to infiltrate the village. Spies were searched for on a daily basis, but there was always that one person good enough to escape detection. Any member of Akatsuki could probably manage the feat, but they most likely would have hired someone skilled at that single profession to do it for them for a long period of time.

"That might prove more of a problem than the demon," Tsunade sighed in frustration. "Even if I sent her away, the Akatsuki would still come here in search of her or—" Tsunade did not speak the name, knowing that the shinobi assembled would understand. So, she reiterated her sentence, "They would still come here, one way or the other. Which leaves us with two options."

"Letting her stay, or telling her to go," Gaara continued. His face remained indifferent, but he almost hissed at himself when the sentence seemed to sting. She was nothing more than a puzzle he wanted to solve, so the knowledge that they might send her away should not cause him any pain. Besides, it might be the best option, because he certainly was not going to allow her into Sunagakure when it was his duty to protect it. Doing so would only bring the Akatsuki knocking on his door, and he did not wish to see half his village destroyed,  _ever_ , when he could prevent it.

"Yes," Tsunade replied. "We can let her stay, hope that she fights with us when Akatsuki arrives, and hope we can subdue the demon again if it arises. Or, we can send her away and let someone else deal with the problem. Both options have the possibility of Akatsuki coming here and managing to capture her."

Temari glanced at Gaara once more, hoping to see a reaction from him, and sighed in disappointment at the blank face he had. He cast her a glance when he heard the sound, but she merely turned her eyes away in a show of boredom. There was no need to let him know she knew his fascination was twisting into something else entirely. He probably denied it, but Temari knew the signs, and she knew that his fascination would not disappear over night like he hoped it would.

Kankurou glanced at his elder sibling oddly, noticing at last the quick glances she continue to give their younger brother. Noticing the look in her eye, he sighed. Temari would never understand that Gaara did not need a blood-obsessed jinchuuriki as his wife, no matter how much he might find her interesting. Sure, Gaara needed someone interesting and able to defend themselves, but the person she was pushing at him was a bit extreme.

From the back of the room, a voice sighed, "How troublesome."

Tsunade's eyebrow twitched, as her eyes zeroed in on Shikamaru. The lazy genius was not phased by her glare, but he did look up when she spoke directly to him. "Do you have something to add, Shikamaru?"

"No," Shikamaru replied. "It is just obvious that we should let the woman stay. The Akatsuki will most likely come here just to make sure she's left if you send her away. We'd have a better chance of getting rid of them with her here, but then you'd have to consider the possibility of Houkou's stubbornness allowing him the chance to seek revenge. That might end with more of the village destroyed than Akatsuki coming. So, it's your decision, Tsunade-sama."

"Of course," Tsunade growled. Yes, he pointed out quite a few things that most probably would have overlooked, but his attitude did not help. The uncaring voice that he used made her want to strangle him, and also caused her to wonder why she took the job of Hokage once more.  _Oh, that's right_ , Tsunade thought, turning her glare upon Naruto.

If only the brat had left her alone.

"The kid's got a point, Tsunade," Jiraiya spoke from his position against the wall. "If we let the girl stay, we'll only have a better chance of winning, and we'll only have to deal with them the once." He knew that Tsunade had picked up on what he meant as he cast his eyes at Naruto, because there was no doubt that the Akatsuki would try to pick him off if they decided to head in their direction. At least with the girl in the village, they would attack once and leave, only coming back after they had healed and planned another attack. It would give them more time, considering they would probably head through the village, try to capture Naruto, leave to capture Houkou, and then try snatching up Naruto again if the girl left.

Tsunade knew he was right, but she scowled at him.  _Yeah, Jiraiya, that's the_ only _reason you want her to stay. Tch, I'm not falling for it. Once a pervert, always a pervert—you probably just want to try and catch some_ inspiration _from her._

Jiraiya scowled back, knowing what his old teammate was thinking. It was a shame she was unaware of how far off base she was, because there was no way he was trying again after the way the Kazekage looked at him the first time. Also, that girl had one hell of an arm, and knowing that the strength could also come from a demon did not help the thought.

"But you still have to consider the fact that—"

A medic pushed the door open without knocking, blinking in surprise when all eyes turned to look at her. Blushing slightly, she moved forward to the Hokage's desk, and placed the file in front of Tsunade's sight. "Hokage-sama, you wanted to know when the young woman awakened."

"Yes," Tsunade nodded. She blinked in surprise. She had not expected the girl to be up so soon, if that was where the medic was going with the conversation. The battle with Orochimaru had to have drained her, especially with Houkou managing to break free, so there was simply no logic explanation for her getting up so soon.

"Well," the medic sighed, "the young woman has awakened. She got up about ten minutes ago and demanded to leave, stating that she hated hospitals. But, from the information you gave me, she seems very odd, Hokage-sama."

"How so?" Tsunade asked.

"She seemed rather quiet, but polite and kind," the medic replied. "According to your records, she is a sarcastic brat that needs to be disciplined, yet I did not see any of that when she woke up."

"Ah, so she has reverted back to that, has she?" Tsunade asked.

"Hokage-sama?" the medic asked in confusion.

"It's nothing you have to worry about," Tsunade told her. "Treat her like you would any other patient. If she is well enough to leave, let her. But, I want her to be checked by Hyuuga Haruka before you dispatch her."

"Haruka-san has already checked on her," the medic stated. "She says that there is no traces of any foreign chakra, merely that the girl seems to be producing more at a surprising speed. Her chakra supply is enormous, from what Haruka-san said, and she seems to have trained herself to the point that it replenishes itself almost unnaturally."

 _That's probably the demon at work_ , Tsunade thought.  _That's where it's hiding. There's no way she could have trained her chakra system to act different from anyone else._

"Hokage-sama?" the medic asked nervously. The intense look that the Hokage was giving her unnerved her, and she only wished for her to stop. Especially when she had not wanted to be the one to relay the news, considering the Hokage had seemed as if she would punish anyone that did not bring her news she wanted to hear.

"Oh," Tsunade shook her head a little. "That's  _wonderful_."

"Hokage-sama, Haruka-san also told me that I should probably inform you that," the medic glanced out of the corner of her eye, wondering if  _this_  would get her punished, "while the young woman slept, she continued to mutter in her sleep."

"I see," Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Is there anything interesting about this muttering?"

"Well," the medic bit her lip, "she continued to say very odd things. She apparently hates her family, especially her father, and spoke of it in a harsh voice. But, the oddest thing, was that she cried out for the Kazekage."

"Did she?" Tsunade asked, sneaking a glance at the young man. She noted that he had become tense from the attention he was suddenly getting, and was basically glaring at Naruto's displeased look. "Would you say there was anything  _special_  about these cries?"

"Um," the medic flushed in embarrassment. "I would not say there was anything special, but she said his name so softly that—that it almost seemed like—well…"

Temari secretively threw her arm into the air. She had hit the mark. It was so obvious, so she was not sure why her little brother did not at least try for it. A woman would do him good; even if had a lot of problems with her past. He would not have anything to complain about, since his had never been the best.

"I understand," Tsunade nodded. She almost smiled, considering the embarrassment she had probably brought to the Kazekage. All the paperwork he sent over for her to do deserved payback, and this was good enough for her.

"Uh, well, I should probably also mention that while she spoke of the Kazekage," the medic sighed to calm herself. "Haruka-san noted that often times her voice seemed to change a little, to the point that it became harsh and lustful. It was almost like there was an entirely different person inside her."

 _The demon_ , Tsunade narrowed her eyes.

Gaara's thoughts ran along the same lines, though curiosity clouded his mind. He did not understand why the demon would want him, even if it had bluntly stated that its host found him interesting. Clearly, that interest was a lot darker than simple curiosity, but it did not make sense that the demon would also develop such a thing. Unless, of course, it was pushing at her much like Shukaku had once pushed at him to move as he wanted.

Tsunade, finally deciding to let the embarrassed medic leave, nodded her head. Then, she said, "Good work. You may return to the hospital now and dispatch Kagome. Tell her, though, that I wish to see her and she is to come straight here. You should probably tell those four ANBU following her to come, too, just to make sure she does not make any detours."

The medic bowed, saying, "Of course, Hokage-sama."

Once the medic-nin was gone, Kakashi lowered his book a little. His eyes glanced toward Naruto, noticing how his fist was clenched. He had been given a forest position during the battle, but he had heard Houkou's hatred loud and clear even in the thick foliage. The dog wanted Kyuubi's death, and if Naruto's actions were any indication, Kyuubi was not too fond of the dog either. Kakashi narrowed his eyes with the deduction, for things could get very bad if the situation was not monitored.

Tsunade leaned back in her chair, before turning it slightly to look out the window. Gazing out at the village beyond, she felt a painful swell in her chest at the thought of the past she saw etched into the walls there. She saw the future in the people, but the old familiarity of the village washed over her and made her remember. Both were so real, and though one hurt, she did not wish to see it destroyed.

"Tsunade-baa-chan?" Naruto asked.

"I'm going to let her stay, on the condition that she answers any and all questions directed at her truthfully," Tsunade finally decided. "There will, of course, be other conditions that she will have to follow before I decide to let her stay as a citizen. I am also, though I do not like the idea, going to allow the questioning of one Aoki Rin. According to the information I have already been given, the girl knows more about the woman than anyone."

Naruto pursed his lips, while Kyuubi growled deep in his mind.

"Sasuke, Shikamaru, Neji, and Hinata will be assigned the task of monitoring her if she passes the first test," Tsunade decided at last. They were people she could trust, and she also knew would get the job done. Plus, the added ability they had to see more than the average person pointed more in their favor.

"O-oh," a quiet voice whispered in the back. Hinata was almost sad, knowing that she would have to basically spy on the woman. She might not know her very well, but she had hoped they could at least try to be friends. But, Kagome did not seem like the type of person to befriend those that were constantly gathering information on her.

"Of course, I hope you do all realize we're going to be allowing—"

Tsunade cringed when the door of her office slammed open, two elders stepping inside with scowls on their faces. Instantly she scowled back, watching them closely as they marched up to her desk.

"Are you going to tell us the reason we were not invited, Hokage, or do we have to guess?" the woman snapped. Her old, beady eyes glared into the golden eyes of the Hokage. She had hoped that Tsunade would be a good Hokage, but the Kyuubi brat had managed to get underneath her skin, ruining their chance of controlling her. And that instantly marked her as a threat, Hokage or not.

Tsunade almost sighed in irritation, since she had hoped this whole matter would be pushed aside by the elders. It had not been important enough to argue about until now, and she supposed that was only because of the demon now involved. After all, she had left that little possibility out of any reports, hoping the girl would never show any signs of containing a demon until she left. Or, better yet, the elders  _finally_  died and were out of her hair.

Yes, that would be the day.

"Don't give us that look," the man growled. "Another demon in the village is a very important matter that must be discussed by those who truly understand the consequences such a creature can bring to the village."

"The girl is a jinchuuriki," Tsunade snarled back. "She is  _not_  a demon."

"That does not matter," the man continued. "A group of jounin and ANBU are not classified enough to decide such a thing."

"Are we trying to undermine us again, Hokage?" the woman asked. Her tone was sharp, pressing the Hokage to say something that might be enough to have the people rebel against her. Anything that might cause the people of Konoha to see her in a different light and do everything in their power to remove her from her seat of power.

 _Perhaps,_  Tsunade thought with a snarl.

"The elders have spoken, Hokage," the man went on. "You will remove the demon from the village."

"Oh?" Tsunade laughed bitterly. "And what if Akatsuki comes looking for her, hm? What will you do when there are S-ranked criminals killing our shinobi and hunting for a woman that is no longer here? Ask them politely to leave?"

"Hokage," the woman narrowed her eyes.

"I have already made a decision," Tsunade snapped, slamming her hand down on her desk. "The shinobi in this room with agree with me that this is the best choice, and you will not—" Tsunade stopped, when she noticed the faint outline of a person standing in the doorway.

Kagome stepped into the room through the open door, smiling a little. In a polite, kind voice, she said, "Hello."

"How did—?" Tsunade paused. She had been positive the medic would have taken at least twenty minutes to have all the paperwork filled out, and then there would be at least a minute more before Kagome arrived. Had she really been talking for that long? No, she did not believe so.

"Naka-san was kind enough to let me go before she completely dispatched me, saying that you wished to see me, Hokage-sama," Kagome replied.

Tsunade was shocked with how the woman moved into the room. She looked completely different from the woman she had first been acquainted with, and she contained none of the hyper nature from her blood _bath_. Tsunade instantly came up with the possibility that the demon had been forced further away from her conscious mind, allowing her the moment to show herself without the demon's influence. But that made no sense, considering the demon's influence had made her who she was.

Just what happened inside the woman's head every time the demon was satisfied or pressed down?

A small smirk formed on Kagome's lips, as she said, "Don't worry, Hokage-sama. I'm still all here, it's just not as hectic up here." She tapped her skull with her finger, while blinking slowly. It was strange, not hearing even a faint whisper of Houkou, and she wondered if the demon had fallen asleep or been knocked unconscious, because she remembered this feeling from when she was child.

Before the demon first decided to speak with her, and if she remembered correctly, she had been eight the first time it happened. Diving into her training, still mourning slightly over the  _betrayal_  of her friend, and suddenly the voice appeared. In the beginning it was rather nice, but she grew up, and then it just became annoying.

The elders eyed the woman with weary eyes, knowing that a jinchuuriki was a dangerous foe. Then, they stiffened even more when the young woman shifted her cold, blank eyes toward them. It was clear that the girl had been trained rigorously, had developed and mastered her craft, and could now use it to kill within seconds. The accounts they had been given by a reliable source had more than confirmed it, but to have those eyes settled upon them was unnerving.

They knew it was a natural response, though. The hidden villages had warred for many years, striving to capture demons and seal them away to create better weapons, but most went horribly wrong. The child never came out exactly as the village wanted, for there was always some little trait that caused them to turn against everything they were meant for.

The Kyuubi was a perfect example, followed closely by the former vessel of Shukaku.

The old woman quickly returned her attention to the Hokage, hissing, "Hokage."

Knowing the tone, Tsunade glared straight into the elder's eyes. "I have made my decision," she replied.

"You will ruin this village, Hokage," the woman suddenly growled. "And I hope you weep when it finally burns to the ground for your ignorance."

Tsunade watched as they turned on their heels and left her office, making a large circle around Kagome. She almost wanted to ask the girl to spook them a little, with how frightened they were of her presence, but the way the young woman's eyes followed them more than made up for it. They were scared out of their wits, and wanted nothing more than to get rid of the problem.

It was such a  _shame_  she never listened to them.

Turning her attention back to the young woman standing just inside the doorway, Tsunade watched as those cold, blank eyes turned to meet hers. It was true what the girl said, she was still all there, just it appeared as if she was trying to gage her surroundings and get a new grasp on the world. Tsunade could see it in her eyes alone, and her tone chipped a bit at the knowledge.

"Higurashi Kagome, I have a few questions that I'd like to ask you," she said after a few moments.

A small smirk tilted on the young woman's lips, as she replied, "Of course, Hokage-sama."


	24. Twenty-Three

Deciding it was best to get straight to the point, as the woman settled into the chair before her desk, Tsunade said, "I have been informed that you are from the Land of Lightning. Tell me, what village do you come from exactly? Kumogakure?"

Flickering her cold, blank eyes over the people in the room, Kagome finally shook her head lightly. "No," she replied. "I do not come from Kumogakure, Hokage-sama."

"You're avoiding the question," Tsunade scowled. The damn girl really was becoming a thorn in her side, now that she thought about it. Maybe it would have been best to just hand her over to the elders? True, she  _might_  have slaughtered them without a second thought—there was actually a high possibility that it  _would_  have happened—but it would have been a win-win situation in Tsunade's eyes.

"Perhaps," Kagome said softly, "you did not give me enough time to answer."

" _Well_ ," Tsunade snapped, "I'm giving you enough time now."

For a moment, Kagome caught the eye of the Kazekage. She knew that the information had come from him, but, strangely enough, she did not care that the knowledge she had given to him had been passed along. "I come from a relatively small village known as Tenpigakure."

"Tenpigakure?" Tsunade asked.

"Yes, Hokage-sama," she nodded, her smile mockingly polite. "It is located in a deep valley on the furthest mountain peak from where we now stand. It is rather beautiful, really, when the sun rises up from the east and casts the first rays of light upon the village. And then, at dusk, the entire village is cloaked in a haze of red and purple, as the sun tries desperately to keep its hold on the area."

"As lovely as that sounds," Tsunade scoffed, "that is not nearly what I wished to hea—"

The jinchuuriki of Houkou cut her off, stating, "I will not lie, however, when I say that the village  _does_  receive most of its information from Kumogakure. In fact, the two are linked closely as the Raikage calls upon shinobi from both villages to perform the tasks he has brought to him. People from Tenpigakure are more than happy to travel the distance in order to be beneath the Raikage's rule, and none of them question being governed by one of his advisors."

"And your clan, the Higure Clan, did this?" Tsunade asked. The information, if true, could help them in the future if Kumogakure ever decided to attack again. Knowing even that much could help them come up with a fairly solid strategy to defeat Kumogakure quickly and efficiently without losing a large amount of shinobi.

Dipping her head, she nodded. Her voice filled with venom, disgust, as she spoke of the people she had slaughtered without remorse. "Indeed, they did. The Raikage called upon us often, requesting our special skills for assassinations, and it is that reason alone that the Higure Clan ruled over the rest of the blundering fools located within the village."

"I see. The Raikage must have liked you a  _lot_ ," Tsunade snorted.

Kagome's eyes narrowed, but her voice remained calm and collected. "He favored me above the rest of my clan, yes. But, only because he recognized that the rest of the clan was pitiful and weak, unable to complete the missions that I managed to survive without a soul by my side. And, I suppose, it never helped that my father practically threw my accomplishments in the Raikage's face, wanting me to one day overthrow the bastard."

Glancing in Ibiki's direction, Tsunade watched as the man silently nodded. The girl was not lying,  _yet_. "You sound as if you are disgusted with your clan, but that does not surprise me at this point. You  _killed_  them, isn't that correct?"

Slowly, a wicked smile curved its way onto Kagome's seemingly polite face. "Yes."

"More often than not—" Tsunade narrowed her eyes. The girl's hauntingly dark gaze was locked with her own, and she no longer felt secure. The demon inside the girl might be silent, as she had said, but she was still as dangerous and still needed to be monitored closely. "—people kill those close to them because of political reasons. Was the reason you killed your clan, because the Raikage gave you the order to?"

" _No_ ," the jinchuuriki snorted. Then, to amuse herself, she lifted a hand, knowing that the Hokage was watching her closely, and began to play with the strip of red hair that stood out amongst the sea of black cascading down her back. And, strangely enough, she felt rather pleased when she realized the Kazekage was watching her do so as well.

"Then you killed them of your own accord?" Tsunade demanded. Damn it, she had hoped that the girl had been given the order to kill the clan because they were becoming too powerful. She had  _not_  wanted her to be like Uchiha Itachi, killing those around her in order to gain power and test herself.

"Yes," she nodded.

"And you lied when you first arrived," Tsunade pressed. "Telling me that you had been cast from your clan and were no longer allowed to associate yourself with their name?"

" _Yes_ ," Kagome lightly hissed. She  _had_  lied about that. It had been the safe thing to do at the time, since she had been trying to control the need beneath the surface of her skin. Telling them the truth would have had her chased away,  _far away_ , and she would have turned on them, fed from them, and in the end she  _never_  would have come to know that she was actually in control of the powerful demon known as Gobi no Houkou.

Now, it really did not matter to her that she had blatantly lied to the Hokage's face.

"And,  _tell me_ , did you believe that that would protect you?" Tsunade scowled. "Did you believe that lying would solve all of your problems? That you would be able to make connections and stop us from—?"

" _First_ , Hokage- _sama_ ," she closed her eyes, "I do  _not_  make connections. I have  _never_  made connections, and I  _never_  wish to make connections." After a pause, she opened her eyes and locked gazes with the Hokage once more, saying, "I was raised my entire life to be a weapon for my  _father_. I kill those that oppose me, and I wipe the world clean of those that think they are capable of restraining me. I do not  _make_  connections, I  _break them_."

"I see," the Hokage muttered. That was definitely  _not_  what she wanted to hear. The young woman clearly had some childhood issues that haunted her, and there was a good chance that it could mean devastation for Konohagakure. "You hate your father, I take it?"

" _Hate_  him?" The polite nature disappeared completely from Kagome's form as she laughed. " _Hate him_? Oh, that is a  _laugh_ , Hokage-sama. No, I do not  _hate_  my father. I  _loathe_  him and everything about him. He believed he could control me, that I would always be  _daddy's little girl_ , and it was because of that that I wished to rid the world of his existence. And I  _did_ , but I did not just  _kill_  him, Hokage-sama, no, I  _ripped him a part_."

Recognizing the rise in danger, Tsunade instantly demanded, "You will calm down  _right now_."

"Why?" Kagome chuckled. "What are you going to do about it, Hokage?"

"You  _do_  realize," Tsunade straightened her back, pressing her authority upon the other woman, "that I could easily have you shipped back to the Land of Lightning to be executed, do you not?"

Allowing her head to fall forward, Kagome hid her face in shadow. She appeared to be contemplating whether or not Tsunade would stay true to her word, until a small chuckle escaped her lips. Then, as Ibiki narrowed his eyes, on edge due to the girl's switch in mood, she spoke. "And, you  _do_  realize, Hokage-sama, that the Raikage would rather slit his own throat than believe a thing that comes from you mouth, do you  _not_?"

"I am—!" Tsunade began.

"I do not particularly care," Kagome scoffed. "It is a matter of  _fact_ , Hokage-sama. The Raikage hates you, this village, and wants to one day see you lying in a pool of your own blood at his feet. He wishes to  _make_  this village fall. He wishes to rid the world of the power that could, theoretically, be his downfall. And because of that, he would  _never_  listen to a word that fell from your lips."

"You think so?" Tsunade suddenly smirked. Two could play Kagome's little game, if she wished to try and push her into a corner. "What if,  _theoretically_ , I sent a message to the Raikage and explained to him  _who_  exactly destroyed the clan that was so precious to him? Surely, after hearing that his prized assassin from that clan killed them, he would wish to seek retribution. A life for a life, if you will."

"Perhaps he would," she nodded. " _But_ , you're still forgetting one little detail, Hokage-sama."

" _Oh?_ "

"The Higure Clan specialized in blood, true, but they were also known for their ability to deceive those around them and avoid deception in return." Kagome's eyes twinkled. She knew she had won. "And I, having been born and raised within the Higure Clan, am able to use that talent quite well. Much better, in fact, than almost all of those that called themselves my kin."

Tsunade remained silent, waiting. Any information that she could obtain would be useful in the future, and she was happy to let the young woman continue if she chose to do so.

"It would be so  _easy_ , Hokage-sama, to convince the Raikage that your village was the cause of the massacre."

"Ridiculous," Ibiki finally snapped. "The Raikage is no fool."

" _Really?_ " Kagome asked. "You do not think he would believe me?"

Ibiki remained firm in his decision.

" _Please_." The desperate whisper echoed into the room, miserable and sad, and it soon became apparent that the plea had come from the previously calm Kagome sitting with her face shadowed. "Please, Raikage-sama, I'm sorry. I didn't want to do it. I didn't mean to. Please,  _please_ ," the young woman looked up, her eyes reflecting her sadness with ease, "don't let them hurt me anymore."

Gaara shifted. He  _knew_  that she was proving a point, despite the fact that she was basically digging a hole and getting ready to lie in it, but her tone affected him. His sand stirred slightly with the feeling in his chest, and he recognized the area briefly as the spot that had urged him to rip into Orochimaru when he believed the snake had managed to curse her.

"I  _didn't_. I  _didn't_ —"

"Enough," Tsunade commanded. "I see your point."

Within a moment, Kagome returned to normal. Only a small smirk shadowed the corner of her mouth, while she said, "Though I despise those that once said they  _loved_  me, they  _did_ manage to teach me a few useful tricks. And that one, I assure you, would be effective. The Raikage hates this village and he loved the Higure Clan's power, and my little act would be more than good enough for him to decide to once again wage war with Konoha."

Tsunade nodded curtly. It seemed that the threat of execution, unless she planned to follow the elder's wish and do it upon Konoha soil, was not going to work with Kagome. So, she decided it was best to redirect her attention back to where she wanted it. "The Higure Clan was a clan of deceivers, correct?"

"Yes," Kagome replied, rolling her eyes for good measure. Had she  _not_  just said that?

"And, you were the heiress?"

"I think you misunderstand, Hokage-sama." The jinchuuriki shifted a little, leaning completely on the left side of her chair. "I  _am_  the sole survivor of the Higure Clan, true, but I am  _still_ the one that controls it."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes in confusion, asking, "What do you mean?"

"Your next set of questions will,  _no doubt_ , be about the techniques that I am able to use," Kagome began. "But, in order to understand the one that I am about to tell you about, you must first know a little about the Higure Clan's history."

"Go on," Tsunade said.

"It is said," Kagome closed her eyes, "that long ago the clan worshipped shinigami. I know this information to be true, though the clan twisted the information through the years in order to appease the other residents of Tenpigakure. The clan knew that what they practiced was a forbidden art, a sin, if you will, and they hid their callings and sacrifices from the rest of the small village. They knew that they could have easily destroyed the rest of the village, but they did not dare risk the wrath of the ruler that had come into power."

The young woman shifted a little more. "One day, though, the clan decided that they wished for something in return for their constant devotion. They called upon the shinigami they worshipped, begged, and in the end the shinigami gave into their demands and gave them what they wanted. But, what the shinigami gave them had a price. True, at that point, they were able to extract the souls of their opponent and kill them instantly, but the soul was instantly given to the shinigami and thus defied the will of the Gods by taking the life of those that did not yet deserve to die.

"Those that used the technique began to fall into madness. They did not understand why, but soon they began to take the life of those around them. And as more and more clan members were executed, the clan became furious with the shinigami they worshipped. They felt that the shinigami had given them a horrendous gift, that the shinigami wanted them dead, and finally they cut ties with the supernatural. They destroyed the shinigami's image within the clan, toppled shrines, and made sure that every ounce of the shinigami's presence was gone.

"But, despite the fact that the shinigami itself was gone, the clan could not get rid of the sudden thirst they had developed. They wanted the ability the shinigami had given them a taste of. They wanted to be able to extract souls, but they did not wish to give them up to the being that had cursed them for a short time. So, the most intelligent of the clan and those that were capable of developing new techniques with ease came together. And, though it took many years, and many died in the attempt, eventually they managed to create a devastating technique that reminded them of what they had once been given." Kagome paused, before stating, "They called this technique the Soul Extraction."

"So, you are capable of stealing a soul?" Tsunade already knew that information, having had it told to her by those that had been on the battlefield. Higurashi Ayame had been one unlucky soul when she was born into the Higure Clan, and even more so when she decided to seek revenge.

"Of course I am, Hokage-sama," she nodded. "I can easily take a person's soul and anchor it down to this world for later use. That is the reason that I said what I said. I captured every soul within my clan, ripping them away from the body and keeping them just out of a shinigami's reach, so that I might play with them a little more. Each and every one of them is sentenced to a lifetime of servitude, and until I die, they will be beneath my rule and be forced to do as I wish."

"Why did you do that?" Tsunade asked. "You hate them so much, so why did you anchor them to yourself instead of letting them just die?"

"They deserve to  _suffer_ , that's why!" Kagome snapped. "Each and every one of them deserves to be tortured a thousand times! They deserve to atone for the sins they committed in life! They  _deserve_  to burn and know that I, the one that was raised to protect their miserable hides, am now the one that controls everything that they now have!"

The Godaime Hokage straightened a bit more in her seat, taking a tentative glance in the direction of the Kazekage. His sand would most likely be the most affective if the demon inside the young woman was beginning to awaken and take control a second time. Yet, Gaara did not appear threatened. He did not even twitch, while the demon vessel sitting before her sank back into her chair.

"Forgive me, Hokage-sama. I should not direct the hatred I feel for those fools at you." Kagome, truly, did not feel any sort of regret for snapping at the Hokage, but she knew that it was the polite thing to do.

Looking back at Ibiki, Tsunade watched as he nodded. He had all the information he needed for now. The rest he would dig up, whether it was from documents or minds. So, she decided that enough was enough for now. "Yes, well, it would seem that we have all had enough for today."

"May I return to my room then, Hokage-sama?"

"Of course," Tsunade waved her hand. She  _really_  needed something to drink. "But, rest assured that I will come up with some way for you to demonstrate your skills. I can't have you wandering around with some extra forbidden jutsu tucked up your sleeve."

"If that is what you wish." Smiling humorously, Kagome added, "Perhaps I could call upon the souls of those that I killed and show you my skills by killing them  _again_."

Gaara watched, silent, as the woman rose from her seat and moved from the room. Briefly, once she exited, his sand rumbled underneath his control, but he was quick to quiet it. The chance of her being attacked within the Hokage Tower was slim to none, and besides, she was more than capable of protecting herself.

"Damn girl," Tsunade muttered, shuffling through a stack of papers upon her desk. Then, finding the one she was searching for, she scanned the scroll. "Ibiki."

"Yes, Hokage-sama?"

"Bring me the Academy student Aoki Rin."

Ibiki dipped his head, disappearing almost immediately.

* * *

"What if I do not wish to go, father?" she asks. She fingers the kimono that was tossed carelessly into her lap. It  _is_  rather beautiful, she realizes, but it is also pointless to wear. No one, not even those that silently admire her, will ever overcome the fear and hatred they feel for her.

Her father shakes his head. "It is dishonorable for the heir to not attend the clan's annual festival. The elders will be most displeased if you do not show, you know that." Then, he pats her head, while looking upon the silent garden that she sits and stares at daily. "Why don't you go and find a young man to take you? I'm positive there are quite a few that are waiting for you to ask."

She rolls her eyes. " _No_  one will take me."

"Nonsense," her father scoffs. "You are the  _heiress_. They will fall at your feet and beg you to take them."

She narrows her dark blue eyes. He is wrong, and he knows it. Yet, like every year, he pushes her forward, demands she does as he wishes, and in the back of her mind she hears a voice.

" _Kill him_." The voice mumbles mostly. " _Give me blood_."

"There will be someone." Her father quietly mumbles her name, and she feels disgusted as it falls from his lips. "And, even if there is not, you  _are_  the one that will one day control them. Demand they take you. Demand they show you the respect you deserve."

" _Blood…_ " The voice is almost hypnotic, but she is in control. She will  _not_  bend. " _Give me blood…_ "

Ignoring the voice, she finds herself watching a tiny black bird. It manages to distract her from the need building beneath her flesh, demanding she do as the voice commands her to. And, though she is pushed to destroy the one obstacle standing in her path, she manages to find a brief moment of peace. But, like always, as soon as she manages to calm her mind, the bird flies away and she is brought back to reality by the patting of her father's hand.

"Stop watching those stupid birds, daughter," he scowls. "They will not help you."

She knows he is right. The garden, and the creatures it contains, will  _never_  help her. They will never truly wipe away the feeling in her chest. They will never destroy her need to kill. And, in the same instance, they will never save the man who calls himself her father when she decides she is tired of him. So, finally, she rises while his hand falls from her head.

Her father nods in satisfaction. He is pleased that his daughter is finally following his orders, though he had had no doubt that she would. "You will find someone," he assures her, "and, if you do not, I am sure you can put them  _in line_."

The voice in her head chuckles madly. " _Blood…_ "

Knowing that her father has given her permission, though she does not need it, she echoes the voice's demand.  _Blood…_

"Do remember," her father calls her name, as she walks away, "to have a little  _fun_  while you're out."

She moves silently, immediately immersing herself in a sea of people once she reaches the outside world. Her senses sharpen, her eyes flash, and she can feel the people around her inching away. They have no wish to be near her. They have no wish to  _die_. Yet, a silent agreement passes through the crowd, as they smile at her face and glare heatedly at her back.

Despite how much she has taught them, they still do  _not_  understand the meaning of respect.

She is above them. They are  _nothing_  without her. Who are they to isolate her, the one they should love? Who are they to press their hatred upon her, the one that will one day rule them? Who are they, but a sea of insolent fools that will one day stain the ground as she kills them?

The voice chuckles. It sounds as if it knows something that she does not.

 _What a foolish idea_ , she thinks. They, too, will fall. The one that dares play with her head, hiding just out of reach, will be just like the rest of the pitiful clan that surrounds her. They will become a body, torn a part and no longer identifiable, beneath a tombstone, or,  _perhaps_ , if she feels rather murderous that day, only a splatter upon the ground.

Again, she hears the distant sound of chuckling.

_Fool._

" _Blood…_ " the voice echoes. It wants only one thing. It always has, and when she is willing to give into the need she feels, she will feed it.

At the last moment, feeling the constant gaze of those around her, she glances up. A small group stands just outside the sea of people she has found herself within, all of them within her age range. She knows that her father wants her to find someone around her age, though he would gladly throw it in he Council's face if she found a well-known shinobi to take her to the festival. So, soundlessly, she changes direction.

The group glances up, sensing her. They smile, seemingly pleased to see her, though she recognizes the loathing brewing in their eyes. They would not dare disappoint the head by disrespecting his daughter. Though, she knows, they wish nothing more than to watch her burn.

"Is there," a boy waves his hand toward the girl at his side, "something we can do for you?"

She recognizes that he states her name with respect when it falls from his lips in the end. He is  _good_. He has managed to say her name without slurring the honorific in disgust. So, she decides. "Yes,  _you_  will take me to the clan's annual festival tonight."

The girl standing beside the boy stiffens, and he calms her with a firm hand on her shoulder. He replies, "I'm  _sorry_ , but I have already agreed to take Masumi-san here to the festival." Again, he states her name without disgust. "But, I am positive that I could help you find someone else to take you to the festival."

" _No_ ," she steps forward. "You  _will_  take me, do you understand?"

He stiffens, understanding.

Yes, she decides, he  _is_  good. He  _will_  take her. After all, not many of the stupid people around her would have understood her silent threat the first time. "Do you understand?" she asks,  _again_ , making sure that her point has been pounded in.

"Yes." His head falls, while the girl beside him clasps onto his arm. "I understand."

She turns from them, and then remembers one important thing. So, she calls back, "What is your name?"

"H-Higurashi Hojo," he replies immediately.

She nods, pleased, and then walks away. He should be honored, though she can feel the eyes of his little friend, Masumi, digging into her back. This might very well be the only time he is allowed to stand at her side without the threat of being killed.

Silently, she slips back into the sea of people on the street, though she still feels as if she is alone amongst the crowd.

* * *

"It would seem that the Gobi has finally decided to show itself."

" _Really?_ " an excited voice called.

Pein was only somewhat amused by Madara's need to act his part. Though, he did continue. "From our current source, it appears that the Gobi has moved from the Land of Lightning to the Land of Fire. The jinchuuriki, a female who has finally tapped into the Gobi's power, is currently being held in Konohagakure."

"Tobi does  _not_  like the sound of that," the masked man said.

"So what?" Kisame snorted. "That means that we can kill two birds with one stone. I mean, the Kyuubi hasn't changed location, has it?"

"No," Pein replied. "The Kyuubi still resides in Konoha."

The only female member of the group, Konan, shifted a bit. "It is known that the Kyuubi and Gobi once warred with one another, until the Gobi mysteriously disappeared. With them both in the same area once again, and their hatred so deep, the jinchuuriki that house them might begin to fight as the Kyuubi and Gobi once did."

"Good," Kisame nodded. "That'll make Itachi's job easier when we go and get Kyuubi, since the Gobi will probably have worn him out."

Konan frowned, stating, "Getting caught in the crossfire, even when they are jinchuuriki, could be devastating."

Kisame muttered, "Then we won't."

"Even so," Pein said, "because of the circumstances—"

Uchiha Madara shifted, the orange mask covering his face turning toward Pein. Behind it, he smiled.

"—we will be utilizing a method that will force both the Gobi and the Kyuubi from their current hosts. The technique will require quite a bit of work, but once it has been refined and the tailed-beasts returned to their original forms, it will be simple to capture them both."

"How so?" Itachi finally spoke up, curious.

"The technique does return the beast to its original form through the sacrifice of its host, but it also leaves the beast weak for a number of weeks afterward," Pein explained.

"May I  _ask_ ," Hidan growled, "why we fucking haven't been using this until now?!"

" _No_ ," Pein said. "You may  _not_."

"Tobi wants to capture the Gobi!"

"Shut up, yeah!" Deidara hissed.

"But, Tobi wants to capture the Gobi!"

"That isn't the demon we're assigned to, yeah!"

Pein merely sighed in annoyance.

* * *

 

 _Tenpigakure_  ( _no Sato_ ) - Hidden Village of the Sun; Village Hidden in the Sunlight

 


	25. Twenty-Four

"Naruto," Sasuke called.

"Sasuke-teme," Naruto greeted him. Then, turning his head toward the woman staring at him blankly, he felt his body stiffen. He tried to tell himself that she was _just_ like him—like him _and_ Gaara—but the fox buried beneath his skin refused to listen and steadily released his hatred upon his mind. _"Kago—"_

"If you strain yourself too much, you're going to end up hurting yourself."

A snarl built in his throat, and Naruto had to force down the need to release it. The woman _just—just—!_

She smiled, honestly. "You're trying too hard. The hatred you feel for me right now, the way that Kyuubi wants you to feel, I can see it in your eyes. And, really, I don't know why you're fighting it, when, in all honesty, I _really_ can't stand you."

His mouth dropping open, Naruto swung his head in Sasuke's direction for an answer. The Uchiha simply shrugged, though, and Naruto was left confused about the slight change in the woman's behavior.

Deciding to save the dobe, Sasuke asked, "Is there a reason you've decided to _grace_ us with your presence, Naruto?"

"Why you—?" Naruto hissed. It was bad enough that that blasted woman had to grind away at his nerves, but then _sweet, sweet, innocent_ Uchiha Sasuke had to pile more crap on top of it! _"Ugh!"_

"Well?" Sasuke coaxed.

"Tsunade-baa-chan just summoned me into her office so _I_ could tell you two that you needed to go to the Execution Grounds. Apparently she's got some type of test or _whatever_ set up for _her."_ Naruto did not try to hide it. Kyuubi's thick hatred for Houkou was leaking into his system, turning him against the woman, and he did not know how to stop it.

"The Execution Grounds?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes. There was only _one_ reason that Tsunade would summon them there. She wanted Kagome to show her, her killing technique by taking the life of someone that was already sentenced to death.

Even he, having spent so much time with that snake, thought that that was inhumane. The woman would not deliver a shift death, as protocol demanded. And, not only that, but she was not a Konoha shinobi and, therefore, did not deserve the right to take the life of someone who had committed crimes against the village.

What was Tsunade thinking?

"The Hokage wants me to kill someone?" Kagome could not help but smirk, despite the fact that Houkou had grown dormant inside of her. "We should not keep her waiting then."

Out of the corner of his eye, Sasuke noticed that Naruto flinched visibly. His eyes took on a strange red hue, one that Sasuke recognized all too well, and his guard immediately lifted. Naruto might be his friend but—

"Come on," Naruto growled. "We don't got all day."

"By all means, lead the way," Kagome called, as she rose gracefully from her seat. Her jacket swished around her body, swaying in an almost taunting manner, while she flicked her hair over her shoulder.

Somewhere deep within her mind, Houkou stirred at the familiar thought that rushed through her mind in that moment.

_Blood…_

* * *

 

"What do you think of her now, Temari, knowing that she lied to us?"

Temari opened her mouth to reply, but she was surprised when Kankurou glanced down and away from her. Allowing her own eyes to shift, she blinked a bit in surprise at the small girl. Sure, she recognized her, but what was Tsunade thinking by allowing such a young girl to attend an execution?

"Kagome-chan is a _shinobi,"_ the girl stated stubbornly. "And Rin believes that even you, as a _shinobi,_ would give away false information in order to protect yourself while in a foreign nation!"

Kankurou stared in surprise at the scolding.

"Kagome-chan did nothing wrong!" Rin continued. "She was pushed too far by those that should have loved her and she did some bad things because of it, but Kagome-chan is still a good person at heart if you _just_ get to know her! If you look beyond the fact that she has—!"

"Rin!" Tsunade snapped. While she knew that the young girl was strangely protective of the older woman, there was no reason to inform the entire village of her situation by yelling. "That is quite enough."

"Y-yes, Hokage-sama." Rin blushed, putting her head down.

Temari smirked slightly, saying, "She sure told you off, didn't she?"

"What?" Kankurou hissed. "Even after she _lied_ to us— _all of us!?!_ —you're still going to pick her side, Temari?"

"Well, from what I see, it's much better than picking _yours,"_ Temari chuckled. "I mean, _come on_ , Kankurou! You know what Kagome did to Orochimaru, and you still think that it's a good idea to put yourself against her? What if she suddenly decided that she wanted your head, because, I don't know, you _hit on her_?"

"Will you stop bringing that up?!" Kankurou spat. "You're the reason I was drunk—!"

"But I'm not the one that told you to—!" Temari snickered as her brother cut her off.

"—and I already apologized for the whole Matsuri thing! What more do you want, Temari, because I'm not entirely positive that I can survive much more of your—!"

 _"Enough."_ Gaara's aqua colored eyes settled on Kankurou harshly, demanding that he shut his mouth as soon as possible. It was not the time, nor the place, for Kankurou's need to whine about every little thing that Temari did. And, having to attend quite a few executions himself, he should know that and show respect to Konohagakure by _shutting his mouth_.

"She started—!" Kankurou tried to plead his case, but Gaara's glare was more than enough to convince him not to. Though, under his breath, he made sure to call his dear sister every rude name he could think of.

Silence settling in around them, Tsunade cast her eyes down upon the bound, muttering and guarded man that had been placed in the center of the arena beneath them. She would be glad to be rid of him at last, instead of knowing he was rotting away within a cell where they made sure to feed him each day. Yet, while looking upon the small man, she had to harden her resolve once more.

What she was doing was the right thing. She was not only protecting her village as Hokage should, but she was ridding the world of an evil that had plagued it for far too long. She was gaining information to make sure that those beneath her were safe, _and_ she was putting to rest what many of those beneath her viewed as merely another mouth to feed.

"Tsunade-sama," Shizune whispered.

"What is it, Shizune?" Tsunade asked.

"I was just informed that—" Shizune flinched, as the doors leading into the Execution Grounds were forcefully kicked open and Naruto came crashing in. The guards outside were shouting, demanding he show respect, and scowling heatedly at his back.

"Tsunade-baa-chan, I brought—!"

" _Kagome-chan!_ " Rin squealed in delight, practically knocking over Kankurou as she raced toward the woman when she came into sight. "Kagome-chan! Kagome-chan!"

"Hey, watch it!" Kankurou called after her, huffing.

Barreling into the older woman, Rin felt her pause in step. She buried her face into her clothing, smiling happily, and said, "Rin told Kagome-chan that we would meet again, didn't she? Rin told Kagome-chan that she would allow her heart to grow fonder knowing that she would see Kagome-chan again, right? _Right?_ "

Slowly placing her hand on the small girl's head, Kagome stated, "Rin."

Pulling away, Rin allowed her smile to brighten. "Rin is happy to see you, Kagome-chan!"

"You should not be here," Kagome sighed.

Her eyes softening, Rin said, "Kagome-chan doesn't need to worry. There is nothing that you can to do make Rin hate you, because Rin has seen into your heart. Rin knows that there are times when you must be bad, but that doesn't matter as long as you don't hurt those who get close to here."

Watching the young girl reach up to touch her heart tenderly, Kagome shook her head. "I told you what you say is ridiculous," she replied, "because there is no one—"

"Kagome-chan will understand when the times comes," Rin cut her off, nodding. Then, she grew silent, waiting, and it was no surprise to her when Tsunade finally called attention to them.

"Hokage-sama," Kagome greeted, as she drew away from the young girl. Let the girl stay. It did not matter to her whether or not Rin was allowed to watch the execution she was about to conduct. After all, the life of a shinobi was a harsh one, and it was best that the girl learned that as early as possible.

"You already know why you're here, no doubt." Tsunade decided that it was best to get down to business, since she preferred not to draw out the impending death about to occur.

Letting her blue eyes flicker over to Ibiki, Kagome said, "Oh, yes."

"Good," Tsunade nodded. "Higurashi Kagome, in order to evaluate you and your technique, it has been decided that you will perform the execution of one Masa Mukotsu with the knowledge that he turned upon his allies, killing one genin squad, two jounin and twenty-one civilians with poison made by his own hand. As he is a liability to this village and this nation, you will do whatever is necessary in order to eliminate him, is that understood?"

"It is understood."

"Then, as Godaime Hokage, I now grant you permission to enter the arena."

"As you wish," Kagome replied. Taking a quick glance at those who would witness the execution, she smirked and leapt into the arena. She doubted that this Masa Mukotsu would prove much of a challenge, despite the barrier that quickly rose up around the area, and made her way toward the center.

* * *

 

"What a beautiful woman…"

"Silence, you!" The ANBU growled, disgusted with the man completely as his beady eyes locked onto the woman that had leapt into the arena. "That woman is your executioner, and I suggest you grovel at her feet rather than admire her!"

_"Saru."_

"Uh…forgive me, Tsuru-sama."

"That _woman,"_ Mukotsu licked his lips.

The ANBU, Saru, shifted his painted mask away from the ugly man's disturbing look. He would remain silent, as instructed by his captain, despite the fact that he wanted to wipe the man's face clean with the tip of a kunai. He was ANBU, after all, and he would restrain himself.

"The signal has been given," Tsuru stated. "Release him."

Mukotsu's lips lifted in pleasure. It was not like the Hokage to be so careless, but he would not complain if she chose to go against protocol. After all, that woman— _that woman_ —walking toward him would not escape him now that he had seen her.

That woman— _so, so beautiful_ —would belong to him!

That woman—Mukotsu's thought literally halted, as the restrains placed upon him dropped to the ground. A thick, gargling laugh slipped from his throat, and he rose to his feet the moment that those two annoying ANBU slipped far enough away that the attack he had planned for them was useless.

The woman was drawing closer, her stance confident and her pace assured, and Mukotsu was delighted to find that he could see her eyes quite nicely. They were dark, glimmering and blue, yet he immediately noticed the slight ring of gold that surrounded the dark coloration. It was odd, yes, but it did not matter, for those eyes would soon be locked with his own and begging him to let her do his bidding.

She halted when it happened—it was _far_ to quick for her—and tensed considerably as she tried to fight it. But, oh, how Mukotsu had seen them fight before. Fight, fight, fight, and always lose.

Slowly, a sickening smile spread across his face.

* * *

 

"Tsunade-baa-chan, what is—?"

"Genjutsu," Ibiki stated simply. "Mukotsu is known for his talent of making deadly poison, but people are less informed of the fact that he is also a Genjutsu Master."

Stepping forward, Temari demanded, "And you did not think that was important enough to tell Kagome?! She could end up losing her mind because you decided to keep that little piece of information to yourself—!"

Tugging again at the blonde woman's sleeve, Rin smiled when her wide eyes looked down upon her. "But that is why Kagome-chan is the best person for this—!" she tried.

"Do you know what you're saying?" Temari frowned. "Genjutsu can—!"

"It'll be okay." Rin patted the woman's arm softly, saying, "Rin knows that Kagome-chan can do it, so you don't have to worry about her! As long as she has people that love her, Kagome-chan can do anything!"

"You seem to be forgetting that you yourself informed me of the fact that Kagome appeared unaffected by Orochimaru's attempts to use genjutsu on her, Temari," Tsunade sighed. "That is the reason we thought it best not to inform her, since there is a highly possibility that it is, in fact, the demon inside of her protecting her from it."

Sasuke placed his hand on Naruto's arm when he stiffened. However, his eyes were drawn to where the Kazekage stood, silent and stiff, while his aqua colored eyes watched the scene below.

Grinning, Rin patted Temari's arm again, before turning her attention back to the arena.

* * *

 

" _Uh?_ " Mukotsu's beady eyes widened, as the woman's glazed eyes shifted a little away from his gaze. It had been so close, how had she—!

A shadow crossed the woman's eyes swiftly, driving away the glazed over appearance. Then, against all logic, her beautiful orbs hardened and focused upon him again. Her lip lifted in a silent, dog-like snarl, and she spoke with a voice that made Mukotsu shiver.

"Did you _honestly_ believe that such a weak genjutsu would _effect_ me?"

His smile faltering, Mukotsu demanded, "How did you break through? No one has ever broken through my genjutsu before!"

There was something menacing in her gaze, something that had not been there before. Mukotsu could not place it, he could not even say what had brought it on, but instinct forced him to take a step back when she stepped forward.

"Where are you going?" she teased. Her smile spread, carrying the same menacing appearance, as her entire stance seemed to change in that moment. "You're not thinking about _running away_ , are you?"

 _"Pity,"_ Mukotsu spat, ignoring her statement. "You would have made such a beautiful bride—"

" _Bride?_ "

"—but, I suppose, I'll just have to destroy your mind completely." Mukotsu licked his lips, knowing that even with her mind destroyed her body could bring him such pleasure. "You'll still be of some use to me then, but you certainly won't be as stubborn as you are now."

"You know," her voice was chilling, "the last man to say that to me was ripped a part in a very unpleasant way. And I delighted in the blood that he _chose_ to share with me in that moment."

"Perhaps," Mukotsu hollered, "but I doubt that that man was a _Genjutsu Master_!"

"Genjutsu Master…?"

Mukotsu hissed, as she began to laugh, and quickly unleashed his most devastating technique. It was sure to turn the woman's mind into a puddle of goo after casting her deep into lunacy, and then her body would be his to play with! His, his, _his,_ and there would be no one to stand in his way!

It only took a moment, and then she was reaching up and grasping desperately at her skull. She screamed, a bloodcurdling sound that no doubt came from deep within her chest, and began to dig her nails into her flesh to stop the pain.

Mukotsu grinned at the sight of it, his face twisting into a hideous mess.

Her head thrashing back and forth, Mukotsu was a bit surprised when she paused. Her head fell almost limp, her hair keeping him from catching sight of her eyes, and he wondered if she was so weak to succumb so quickly. But then, gazing closer, he realized that he could indeed see a single orb staring at him.

A dark, winding abyss awaited him there.

His mouth falling open, Mukotsu watched in horror as the woman's eye bled until it was the color of blood. Then, her back arching, fur sprouting along her flesh, and her luscious form twisting and growing, the form of a dog quickly came into being where she had once stood.

The beast snarled only once, blood and gore dripping from its mouth. It lunged then, its eyes filled with terror and agony, and remaining the focus of Mukotsu's own personal _Hell._

The ugly little man was barely even given a chance to scream.

* * *

 

"Did you catch that, Ibiki?" Tsunade asked, watching as Mukotsu's screaming body finally ceased and merely twitched upon the ground. But, even those disappeared after a moment and then there was no signs of life from the traitor.

"Yes, Tsunade-sama," Ibiki nodded. "It appeared that Mukotsu attempted to catch her within one of his more powerful techniques, and she overpowered it with one of her own."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. The girl just kept coming up with new tricks, and Tsunade had _still not_ seen any of her described techniques. Life hated her, Tsunade decided. It simply hated her.

"That was Houkou's doing."

Glancing over at the silent Kazekage, Tsunade frowned. "Are you positive?"

Gaara nodded, saying, "There was a spike of visible white chakra around her before the technique was unleashed. That chakra, from what I have seen, belongs to the demon."

"I can confirm that, Hokage-sama," Sasuke stated.

"Great," Tsunade sighed. "And just when I was beginning to hope the demon inside of her would take a nap for a while."

"Kagome-chan, you were amazing!"

Lifting his gaze, Gaara realized that he had not even noticed the woman approaching. He frowned only to himself, knowing that while he should watch the woman carefully as the Hokage was doing, he simply found he could not.

"That man was incredibly weak," Kagome scoffed down at the girl. "I did not even have to lift my finger."

"Rin still thinks that you're amazing, Kagome-chan!" Rin smiled happily.

Gaara noticed the way her stance shifted immediately, as she stared down at the young, admiring girl. A smirk lifted on her lip, and it was obvious to him that she was quite proud of the fact that she had pleased the girl.

"While that technique _was_ impressive," Tsunade spoke up, "you did not show me your forbidden techniques as promised, Kagome."

"What can I say?" Kagome placed her hand on Rin's head, ruffling her hair in a way she had once seen another do. The girl seemed pleased by the affection, and she, herself, did not feel as suffocated by Houkou's presence as she did when he swept in and dealt with the genjutsu focused upon her. "He was not worth playing with."

" _Such weak blood_ ," Houkou agreed.


End file.
